July 24, 2026 (Mississauga, ON) — Today, Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) joins global stakeholders in celebrating International Self-Care Day and recognizing the growing role of self-care in prevention, everyday health, and health system sustainability.
This year’s global theme, Self-Care at the Forefront of Prevention, is reinforced by new research from the Global Self-Care Federation. The Global Social and Economic Value of Self-Care 2.0 provides updated evidence on the health, social, and economic value of self-care and positions responsible self-care as a core pillar of prevention and an essential component of people-centred health systems.
In North America, the report estimates that self-care through registered non-prescription medicines contributes $31.8 billion in health system cost containment, saves 1.3 billion individual hours and 0.32 billion physician hours, supports 2.4 billion additional productive days, and generates $576.8 billion in welfare gains. With the right policy environment, the report concludes that the global health, social and economic benefits of self-care could increase by almost 50 per cent by 2040.
For Canada, the message is clear: self-care is not a replacement for professional care, but a practical, evidence-based complement to the healthcare system. When Canadians have access to trusted information, safe and effective products, and clear pathways to professional care when needed, they are better equipped to take preventive action, manage minor health issues responsibly, and help ensure healthcare resources are directed where they are needed most.
“Self-care works best when it is supported by strong regulation, reliable information, and clear connections to healthcare professionals when needed,” says FHCP CEO Michael Graydon. “Canada has an opportunity to better integrate self-care into prevention and primary care, while ensuring Canadians can safely and confidently access the products and guidance they need. That is good for people, good for health system capacity, and good for the resilience of Canada’s healthcare system.”
Self-care includes a wide range of everyday actions and products that help people prevent disease, maintain health, and manage minor or self-treatable conditions responsibly. This includes health literacy, self-awareness, physical activity, healthy eating, risk avoidance, good hygiene, responsible use of health products and services, and access to evidence-based non-prescription medicines and other preventive self-care tools.
The report highlights how self-care supports prevention across the health continuum, from helping prevent disease onset to supporting earlier treatment, improving quality of life, and avoiding unnecessary interventions. Examples include fluoride toothpaste, sunscreen, nicotine replacement therapy, hand and surface hygiene products, oral rehydration solutions, antifungals, and non-prescription medicines used responsibly for common conditions.
FHCP has long advocated for a more modern and coordinated approach to self-care in Canada. To unlock the full value of self-care as prevention, governments must ensure Canadians can access safe, effective, and trusted self-care products, supported by a regulatory environment that enables innovation, competitiveness, and responsible use.
This International Self-Care Day, FHCP is calling on governments to:
- Modernize regulations for self-care products by advancing Health Canada’s modernization of non-prescription drugs and natural health products to reduce unnecessary burden, simplify approvals, support risk-based oversight and maintain strong consumer safety.
- Improve access across Canada by recognizing trusted foreign regulatory decisions and better aligning federal and provincial rules for where non-prescription drugs can be sold.
- Strengthen health literacy by supporting reliable, evidence-based health information so Canadians can use self-care products safely, take preventive action, and know when to seek professional care.
- Support growth and innovation by ensuring regulatory decisions consider competitiveness, investment, cumulative burden, and timely access to the products Canadians rely on to manage their health.
To read the Global Self-Care Federation’s Global Social and Economic Value of Self-Care 2.0 report, visit: https://www.selfcarefederation.org/resources/global-social-and-economic-value-self-care-self-care-forefront-prevention
To explore resources on evidence-based self-care and how Canadians and policymakers can unlock its benefits, read our Blueprint for a National Self-Care Strategy or visit selfcare.ca.
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SELF-CARE DAY
International Self-Care Day is held annually on July 24, or 7/24, as a reminder that self-care can be practiced 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The day raises awareness of the value of self-care in improving health outcomes, supporting prevention, reducing pressure on healthcare systems and empowering individuals to be active participants in their own health.
ABOUT FHCP
Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) is the voice of Canada’s leading food, health, and consumer product manufacturers. Our sector employs more Canadians than any other manufacturing industry, providing the essential, high-quality products that support healthy homes, healthy communities, and a healthy Canada. Learn more at OnEveryShelf.ca.