Health for all, Hunger for none: Self-care must be part of the solution

Around the world, health authorities are sharing a national stage with heads of state. Healthcare professionals are being celebrated for the heroes they are. And it seems every conversation—no matter if it’s with a family member or a colleague you’ve never met in person—ends with wishes of good health. In my lifetime, I can’t remember another time when the importance of healthcare was as universally recognized as it is today.

Now that we are becoming more attuned to how important healthcare is, we need to consistently think about the sustainability of our healthcare systems. Self-care plays a fundamental role in enabling that sustainability and keeping our healthcare systems fit to meet more serious health needs now and in the future.

How? Self-care complements the expert medical care one receives in a doctor’s office or hospital, with a two-fold ripple effect of benefits. First, when people have the means to take care of their own health, they can better govern their own lives and take care of their families, friends, and other loved ones. Second, when people can manage their health on their own, doctors and hospitals can dedicate their resources to taking care of people in serious medical need.

Our current situation is a relevant example. Over the course of 2020, most of the world has taken part in the biggest self-care exercise we have ever seen. We have stayed home, washed our hands more, found new ways to stay active and established healthy habits in changed circumstances. We did all of this for ourselves, but also because the health of our loved ones and neighbors, as well as the sustainability of our healthcare systems, depended on it. These experiences paint a clear picture of the essential role self-care plays in sustaining human health.   

Over the course of 2020, most of the world has taken part in the biggest self-care exercise we have ever seen.

To sustain and improve human health, we need both expert doctors and informed consumers. We need hospitals and professionals equipped to perform complex surgeries and empowered consumers able to treat minor ailments on their own. We need innovative approaches to fighting both life-threatening diseases like cancer, as well as ailments like allergies and eczema. We need to adopt a view of healthcare that treats wellness and prevention as just as integral as doctor’s appointments. A truly sustainable, holistic understanding of healthcare will see both serious treatments and small, important, self-administered care as essential to human well-being.

Bayer recently launched a new vision for the company: Health for all, Hunger for none. Our CEO, Werner Baumann introduced the vision on LinkedIn a few weeks ago. With “Science for a better life” we already had a strong purpose. “Health for all, Hunger for none” expresses what our purpose is driving towards. Our vision has a long-term horizon. Realizing it will require partnership, collaboration, and creative thinking.

It will also require self-care. We won’t be able to enable health for all without improved health literacy and widespread access to science-based self-care products. Similarly, achieving hunger for none won’t be possible without ensuring the right vitamins and nutrients are available to the people who need them most.

The pandemic has put healthcare on center stage. It has shown the world how interconnected everyday health and global health systems are. With healthcare in the spotlight, my hope is that we take a view of healthcare that prioritizes systemic sustainability and the holistic health of individuals. Because if we want to realize our boldest visions, self-care must be part of the solution.