Closing Women's Health Gap Could Add 2.5 Healthy Days Per Woman Annually: WEF Report - Video

Targeting nine key health conditions may be crucial for women's health and add the equivalent of 2.5 healthy days per woman per year, according to new research released at the world economic forum (WEF). The new report shows that compared to men, women live one-fourth more of their lives in poor health. Focussing on the nine conditions, categorised as lifespan and healthspan conditions may be key to boosting their lives and health.

Focused on nine key conditions – breast cancer, cervical cancer, menopause, endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome, post-partum haemorrhage, maternal hypertensive disorder, migraine and ischaemic heart disease – that drive a third of the women’s health gap, the report outlines actionable solutions to address disparities in treatment, care delivery, data and funding. Closing this gap could add almost 27 million disability-adjusted life years annually and $400 billion to global GDP by 2040, and improve the quality of life for women worldwide.

The report introduces the Women’s Health Impact Tracking (WHIT) platform, a pioneering tool to measure and track health gaps for women. It emphasizes five key actions: count women (measure women’s health and health outcomes globally); study women (understand hormonal health and women’s biology); care for women (implement clinical practice guidelines for women-specific conditions and account for sex-specific differences within CPGs); include all women (develop accessible solutions to enable early intervention and treatment for women around the world); and invest in women (boost comprehensive financing for women’s health research and interventions). This blueprint offers a path towards healthier lives for women and stronger, more inclusive economies.

“It is time to count women, study women, care for women, invest in women, and include all women,” said Lucy Perez, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and Co-leader of the McKinsey Health Institute.

Reference: https://www.weforum.org/publications/blueprint-to-close-the-women-s-health-gap-how-to-improve-lives-and-economies-for-all/