PHM-Exch> New WHO report on women and health

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Leela McCullough leela at healthnet.org


New WHO report on women and health

Gender equality is good for health.

Despite progress, health systems and societies continue to fail women at key
times of their lives

Despite considerable progress in the past decades, societies continue to
fail to meet the health care needs of women at key moments of their lives,
particularly in their adolescent years and in older age, says a new report
by the World Health Organization (WHO), Women and health: today's evidence
tomorrow's agenda. The report provides the latest and most comprehensive
evidence available to date on women's specific health needs and challenges
over their life-course, from birth to older age.

Women provide the bulk of health care, but rarely receive the care they need
- Up to 80% of all health care and 90% of care for HIV/AIDS-related illness
is provided in the home - almost always by women. Yet more often than not,
women go unsupported, unrecognized and unremunerated in this essential role
and health care continues to fail to address their specific needs and
challenges throughout their lives.

Women live longer than men but these extra years are not always healthy -
HIV, pregnancy-related conditions and tuberculosis continue to be major
killers of women aged 15 to 45 globally. However, as women age,
noncommunicable diseases become major causes of death and disability,
particularly after the age of 45 years.

Policy change and action is needed within the health sector and beyond – The
report seeks to identify key areas for reform, both within and outside the
health sector. These include identifying mechanisms to build strong
leadership with the full participation of women's organizations,
strengthening health systems to better meet women's needs throughout their
lives, leveraging changes in public policy to address how social and
economic determinants of health adversely impact women, and building a
knowledge base that would allow a better tracking of progress.

Download or order the report here:
http://www.who.int/gender/women_health_report/en/

Monika Gehner
Department of Gender, Women and Health (GWH)
World Health Organization
Switzerland
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