GSCF Committees

Committees Driving Our Mission

The Global Self-Care Federation operates a number of specialist committees that focus on the key strategic areas of our work. These committees bring together subject-matter experts from our member organisations to drive progress on specific initiatives, develop policy positions, and share best practices across the global self-care community.

Each committee reports to the Board of Directors and contributes directly to GSCF's advocacy and programmatic outputs. Committees are chaired by representatives from member organisations and supported by the GSCF Secretariat in Geneva.

Regulatory Affairs Committee

The Regulatory Affairs Committee focuses on the regulatory frameworks governing self-care products worldwide. The committee monitors legislative developments, develops position papers on regulatory harmonisation and innovation, and advocates for science-based regulatory approaches that ensure both consumer safety and access to self-care products.

Key areas of focus include:

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• Global regulatory harmonisation of OTC medicines and dietary supplements
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• Good regulatory practices and reliance frameworks
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• Regulatory innovation and digital health product classification
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• Borderline and classification issues between medicines, medical devices, and food supplements
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• Patient and consumer labelling and information standards
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Evidence Based Self-Care Committee

This committee is dedicated to strengthening the evidence base for self-care. Members work collaboratively to identify research priorities, commission studies, and disseminate findings that demonstrate the health, economic, and social value of responsible self-care.

Key areas of focus include:

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• Building the socio-economic evidence base for self-care interventions
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• Measuring the impact of self-care on health outcomes and healthcare system efficiency
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• Supporting research on consumer self-care behaviours and health literacy
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• Promoting data-driven advocacy through robust research methodologies
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WHO Engagement Committee

The WHO Engagement Committee coordinates GSCF's engagement with the World Health Organization and other international health bodies. The committee ensures that the voice of the self-care industry is represented in key global health forums and policy processes.

Key areas of focus include:

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• Engagement with WHO on self-care guidelines, including the WHO Self-Care Guideline
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• Participation in World Health Assembly (WHA) proceedings and side events
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• Contributions to WHO consultations on primary healthcare, universal health coverage, and non-communicable diseases
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• Collaboration with WHO regional offices to advance self-care at regional levels
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Environmental Sustainability Committee

This committee drives GSCF's commitment to environmental sustainability across the self-care sector. Members collaborate on initiatives to reduce the environmental footprint of self-care products and promote sustainable practices throughout the value chain.

Key areas of focus include:

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• Implementation and tracking of the GSCF Charter for Environmentally Sustainable Self-Care
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• Reducing plastic packaging and promoting recyclable and reusable alternatives
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• Carbon footprint reduction across manufacturing and supply chain operations
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• Water stewardship and responsible ingredient sourcing
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• Annual progress reporting and transparency on environmental commitments
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Policy Committee

The Policy Committee oversees GSCF's policy development and advocacy agenda. It identifies emerging policy issues affecting the self-care industry and coordinates the Federation's positions on key legislative and regulatory developments at the global and regional level.

Key areas of focus include:

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• Developing GSCF policy positions on self-care integration into health systems
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• Advocating for appropriate regulatory frameworks for self-care products
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• Monitoring and responding to trade and market access issues affecting the sector
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• Building alliances with patient groups, healthcare professionals, and consumer organisations
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• Promoting health literacy and responsible self-care among consumers worldwide
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Committee Governance

All GSCF committees operate under Terms of Reference approved by the Board of Directors. Committees typically meet quarterly, with additional working group meetings held as needed. Each committee:

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• Has a designated Chair and Vice-Chair elected from among member representatives
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• Reports progress through regular updates to the Executive Committee and the Board
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• Operates in accordance with GSCF's Code of Ethics and conflict of interest policy
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• Welcomes participation from all GSCF member organisations
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• May establish ad hoc working groups to address specific emerging topics
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For more information about committee participation or to express interest in joining a committee, please contact us.