Publications

Australian Self-Care Alliance Publications

The following publications were published by the Alliance since incorporation.

Time to make a difference: Economic and fiscal benefits of Preventive Care+, an example of self-care for health

Prevention is a key lever for Government to moderate demand and slow the growth in healthcare costs.

Preventive Care+ supports early detection, prevention and self-care for health, which is projected to deliver $233M in combined health, income and fiscal benefits per cohort.

2026-27 Budget Submission

The Australian Self-Care Alliance (Alliance) proposes a modest and low-risk Commonwealth investment of $1.55 to $2.9 million to pilot Preventive Care+, a practical preventive health reform that complements recent Commonwealth investments in cancer screening and aligns with the National Preventive Health Strategy, MyMedicare continuity of care and the Government’s digital health agenda.

Open letter: Urgent call to reprioritise national health literacy and consumer engagement strategies

The Australian Self-Care Alliance has issued an open letter to the Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, calling for urgent action on two critical national strategies to strengthen Australia’s preventive health system.

2024-25 Pre-Budget Submission

The Australian Self-Care Alliance (Alliance) is calling on the Australian Government to allocate $6 million to fund the development and implementation of a ‘health star rating’ for digital health information and services to enable Australians easily verify the accuracy of health information, and efficacy of digital health apps.

Consumer engagement and empowerment: the role of self-care in effective preventive health action

The need for an informed and engaged consumer for effective prevention is pressingly obvious, made even more explicit by the health response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Australia’s largely successful suppression strategy has relied on individuals taking greater responsibility for the management of their physical and mental health, and proactively engaging with public health information and preventive health activities.

Mitchell Institute of Health Publications

The following publications were published by the Mitchell Institute of Health at Victoria University and financially supported by the Australian Self-Care Alliance and the informal research collaboration which preceded it.

Self-care for Health: A national policy blueprint

With the support of an informal research collaboration which preceded the formation of the Australian Self-Care Alliance, the Mitchell Institute published this landmark policy blueprint in October 2020. The Minister of Health, the Hon Greg Hunt, launched the Blueprint at a virtual event and immediately referred it to the National Preventative Health Strategy.

Self-Care and Health: By all, for all. Learning from Covid-19

To mark International Self-Care Day 2020, the Mitchell Institute published this essay by Dr Maria Duggan on the lessons for Self-Care from the Covid-19 Pandemic. This publication underlined the importance of self-care to prevention, not just of chronic diseases, but infectious diseases as well.

Australian Health Policy Collaboration Publications

Social Prescribing in the Australian Context: A National Feasibility Study

This national feasibility study — undertaken by the Australian Health Policy Collaboration — assesses how social prescribing could be systematically implemented across Australia. Drawing on a rapid evidence review and extensive consultations, the report confirms that social prescribing can improve wellbeing, strengthen social connection and reduce pressure on primary care. It outlines practical models for national adoption, positioning social prescribing as a credible, evidence-based adjunct to primary healthcare.

The State of Self-Care in Australia

The State of Self-Care in Australia is a literature review and environmental scan that the Mitchell Institute was commissioned to produce in 2018. The report set the baseline for subsequent self-care research in Australia. The environmental scan showed that the majority of self-care activity in Australia at the time was online mental health support for returned Australian defence personnel.

The State of Self-Care in Australia - Technical Appendix

For researchers, the full list of research sources and the full results of the environmental scan.

Partner Publications

The collaborators of the Australian Self-Care Alliance are active in conducting research and issuing publications on Self-Care and related topics. We are pleased to publish pieces relevant to self-care here to amplify their reach.

United for Self-Care Coalition – Manifesto in support of the Fourth High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly

On the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being

The Australian Self-Care Alliance is a proud member of the United for Self-Care Coalition (USCC) – a global alliance of organisations promoting the recognition and integration of “self-care” into formal health systems, especially via the WHO framework.

The USCC has adopted the manifesto below to support the 2025 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being, which effectively positions self-care as a key enabler to advance the Declaration’s commitments.

Untapped Potential: Unlocking Self-Care for Global Health Progress

Bayer, the Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF), and the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU)

The world is currently facing a complex web of challenges, with many regions grappling with severe social, economic, and political crises that strain infrastructures and public services. In its 2024 report, the World Health Organization (WHO) noted that progress toward achieving the health-related targets of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is only about one-third of what is needed.

Self-Care 2030

International Self-Care Foundation

The Seven Pillars of Self-Care are fundamental to ensuring the maintenance of health and allowing individuals to manage many of their own conditions. Each year, on the path to Self-Care for all by 2030, ISF emphasises a different pillar. In 2024 the second pillar is recognised, and this report is intended to raise awareness about how self-care can help people manage their mental health.

Self-Care Readiness Index

Global Self-Care Federation

The Global Self-Care Federation is a federation of regional and national associations, and manufacturers and distributors of non-prescription medicines on all continents. CHP Australia is the local member of GSCF. The Federation is dedicated to a world where self-care increasingly contributes to better health and more sustainable healthcare systems.

The main aim of the Self-Care Readiness Index is to assist GSCF members to engage with jurisdictions and policy makers at regional and national levels about the importance of adopting self-care in national health policies. The survey was conducted in ten countries: United States, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, Poland, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, China and Thailand. This latest version includes all 20 countries – 10 from the first phase which is the report on the website and the 10 countries examined in phase 2 (which includes Australia) .

Member Publications

The members of the Australian Self-Care Alliance are active in conducting research and issuing publications on Self-Care and related topics. We are pleased to publish pieces relevant to self-care here to amplify their reach.

Nature Scripts to Promote Social Sustainability

People and Parks Foundation

Nature Scripts — delivered by Alliance member People and Parks Foundation — is a strong example of evidence-based self-care for health. A new University of Melbourne evaluation found significant improvements in wellbeing, with benefits valued at more than four times the program costs. Outcomes were strongest when participants completed the program twice, highlighting the value of a structured, professionally led nature-based prescribing approach.

The Self-Care Opportunity

Consumer Healthcare Products Australia

To mark International Self-Care Day 2022, Consumer Healthcare Products Australia, a member of the Australian Self-Care Alliance, published recent survey research to help policymakers, healthcare professionals and health advocates better understand Australians’ self-care engagement, capabilities, and behaviours. A cross-section of 2,000 everyday Australians from across the country were asked about the depth of their health knowledge, skills and behaviours, with a particular focus on self-management, health literacy, digital health activity and interaction with health professionals.

Making the Invisible Visible

Musculoskeletal Australia

Musculoskeletal Australia (or MSK) is the consumer organisation working with, and advocating on behalf of, people with arthritis, osteoporosis, back pain, gout and over 150 other musculoskeletal conditions. MSK Australia is a member of the Australian Self-Care Alliance. The National Musculoskeletal Survey and this Baseline Survey Report capture the views of 3,453 Australians living with musculoskeletal conditions. This is the first and most comprehensive survey of what it is to live with musculoskeletal conditions and will be used to give people a voice in wider discussions around health, funding and the future of application of self-care in Australia’s healthcare system.