Dr. Flavia Bustreo, Assistant General Director General for Family, Women’s and Children’s Health Through the Life-course, World Health Organization
we’ve made great strides. It is now time for women to be celebrated and praised. It is time to examine how women’s rights are being fulfilled, especially the right to health. Twenty years after the 1995 Beijing Declaration, Platform of Action, and Platform of Action was signed, many women faced health issues that must be addressed.
Here are ten main issues affecting women’s health that keep you awake at night.
Breast and cervical cancer are the two most common types of cancer that affect women. It is important to detect these cancers early for women to remain healthy and happy. According to the latest figures, around half a billion women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, and half a thousand from cervical cancer. Most of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries, where screening, prevention, and treatment are virtually nonexistent. It is also where vaccines against the human papillomavirus need to be implemented.
Reproductive health: Between 15 and 44, one-third of all health issues in women’s lives are related to sexual and reproductive health. Unsafe sex poses a significant risk to women, especially in developing countries. The contraceptive services needed by the estimated 222 million women in developing countries must be provided to them.
Maternal Health: Many women now enjoy massive improvements in childbirth and pregnancy care over the past century. These benefits are not universally available. In 2013, nearly 300 000 women died due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Access to basic services and family planning could have prevented most deaths.
HIV: Three decades after the AIDS epidemic began, young women are most affected by new HIV infections. Many young women struggle to prevent HIV transmission and get the necessary treatment. They are also more vulnerable to tuberculosis, the leading cause of death for women aged 20-59 in low-income countries.
Sexually transmitted diseases: I have already spoken about the importance of protecting against HIV infection and human papillomavirus (HPV) (the most widespread STI in the world). It is important to prevent and treat diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Syphilis, if not treated, is responsible for over 200,000 stillbirths each year and early fetal deaths. It also causes the death of more than 90 000 infants every year.
Violence against women: While many forms of violence can affect women, physical and sexual violence by a partner or another person is the most serious. One in three women aged 50 and under have experienced either physical or sexual violence from a partner or non-partner sexual assault. This violence can cause long-term and short-term damage to their mental and physical health. Health workers need to be aware of violence to prevent it and support those who have experienced it.
Mental health: There is evidence that women are more likely than men to experience depression, anxiety, and other somatic symptoms that medical treatment can’t explain. Suicide is the leading cause of death among women aged 60 and under for depression. It is crucial to help women become more aware of mental health issues and give them the confidence to seek assistance.
Noncommunicable disease: Some 4.7 million women died in 2012 from noncommunicable illnesses. Most of these deaths occurred in low- or middle-income countries. These women died from road traffic accidents, toxic use of tobacco, alcohol, drug abuse, and obesity. More than half of European and American women are overweight. It is crucial to help girls and women start healthy lifestyles early.
Being young: Adolescent girls face various sexual and reproductive health issues, including STIs, HIV, and pregnancy. Approximately 13 million adolescent girls (under 20 years old) give birth yearly. Pregnancies and childbirth complications are the leading cause of death among young mothers. Unsafe abortion can lead to many deaths.
Aging: Older women might have fewer pensions, benefits, and access to healthcare and social services because they work more often at home. When you combine the higher risk of poverty with other conditions such as dementia. Older women may also be at greater risk for abuse and have poorer health.
As I lay awake, thinking about women’s health and the global community, I remember that the world has made great strides in recent years. We are learning more and applying it better. To give young girls a great start in life.
There has been a rise in political will at the highest levels, as evidenced by the recent United Nations Secretary General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health. Some countries have seen an increase in the use of services, particularly those related to sexual and reproductive health. In many places around the globe, two important factors that impact women’s health have been increasing: higher school enrollment rates for girls and greater women’s political participation.
We are far from there. Too many countries still consider “women empowerment” a pipedream in 2015. It is a mere rhetorical flourish to politicians’ speeches. Too many women miss out on the chance to be educated, supported, and receive the health services they need when needed.
WHO works hard to improve health systems, ensure strong financing systems, and provide health workers with the necessary skills and motivation. WHO and UN and world partners will meet at the UN Commission on Status of Women in New York, 9-20 March 2015. We will revisit the pledges made in the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action to renew the global effort to eliminate inequalities that keep decent health services out of reach of many women.
WHO and its partners have developed a new global strategy to improve the health of women, children, and adolescents. They also ensure women’s health is incorporated in the Sustainable Development Goals post-2015. This involves setting targets and indicators and coordinating policies, financing, and actions to ensure that all women and girls, no matter where they are, have access to health in the future.