Alberta to Allow Self-Referrals for Health Screening – July 27, 2026 - CPAC

alf the world’s population spends less than five minutes a year with a doctor, on average. Daniella Foster of Bayer shared that striking figure during a Diplomatic Courier panel at the SDG Media Zone, noting that’s hardly enough time for introductions. Beyond these brief encounters, most people manage their health at home, in the community, or not at all. The panel featuring Foster and Valérie Boulet of the WHO Foundation was titled “Advancing Healthier Futures: The Health Systems We Haven't Built Yet,” and focused on the role of self-care. Pamela Kelley Lauder moderated. Foster and Valerie Boulet began from the same diagnosis. Boulet cited that an estimated 4.6 billion people who still lack full coverage of essential health services and a projected global shortfall of roughly 10 million health workers by 2030. Health systems cannot hire their way out of numbers like these. Together, the two speakers explained how evidence-based self-care is becoming a structural part of how healthcare is delivered. Boulet was careful to clarify what self-care means in this context. It goes well beyond eating better and making sure to exercise.