Ten Important Issues Related To Women's Health

 Ten Important Issues Related To Women's Health

We have come a long way since 1995. It is time to celebrate women and their achievements. But it is time to look at how women's rights, especially the right to health, are being realized around the world. Twenty years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was signed in 1995, women still face many health challenges, and we must renew our efforts to address them.

Here are the top 10 women's health issues that keep me up at night.

Cancer: Two of the most common cancers that affect women are breast cancer and cervical cancer. Early detection of both cancers is key to women's survival and health. According to the latest global statistics, approximately 500,000 women die each year from cervical cancer and 500,000 from breast cancer. Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where there is little screening, prevention, or treatment, and where widespread vaccination against human papillomavirus is needed.

Reproductive health: Sexual and reproductive health problems make up one-third of health problems in women between 15 and 44 years of age. Unsafe sex is a major risk factor, especially among women and girls in developing countries. That's why it's so important to reach the 222 million women who don't have the contraceptive services they need.

Maternal health: Many women benefit from the vast advances in pregnancy and childbirth care introduced in the last century. But these benefits are not universal, and in 2013 an estimated 300,000 women died from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these deaths could have been prevented if there had been family planning and some very basic services.

HIV: 30 years after the AIDS epidemic, young women bear the brunt of new HIV infections. Many young women continue to fight to protect themselves from sexually transmitted HIV and to access the treatment they need. This makes them especially vulnerable to tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death among women aged 20-59 in low-income countries.

Sexually Transmitted Infections: We have already mentioned the importance of protecting yourself against HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world. But prevention and better treatment of diseases such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis are also important. Untreated syphilis is responsible for more than 200,000 stillbirths and premature fetal deaths and more than 90,000 infant deaths per year.

Violence against women: Women can be subjected to various types of violence, but physical and sexual violence by partners or others is of great concern. Today, one in three women under the age of 50 has experienced physical and/or sexual violence from a partner or non-partner, a violence that affects their physical and mental health in the short and long term. Health workers must be aware of violence to prevent it and support those who experience it.

Mental health: There is evidence that women are more likely than men to experience anxiety, depression, and somatic complaints (physical symptoms that cannot be explained medically). Depression is the most common mental health problem for women, and suicide is the leading cause of death for women under 60. It is important to sensitize women to mental health issues and give them the confidence to seek help.

Noncommunicable diseases: In 2012, approximately 4.7 million women died of noncommunicable diseases before age 70, most of whom lived in low- and middle-income countries. They die due to traffic accidents, harmful use of tobacco, alcohol, drug abuse, and obesity. In Europe and America, more than 50% of women are overweight. Helping girls and women adopt a healthy lifestyle is the key to a long and healthy life.

Being young: Adolescent girls face several reproductive health challenges, including sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and pregnancy. About 13 million teenage girls (under 20 years old) give birth every year. Complications related to pregnancy and childbirth are the main cause of death of young mothers. Many people suffer from the consequences of unsafe abortions.

Aging: Because older women often work at home, they may have lower pensions and benefits and less access to health care and social services than men. The greater risk of poverty, along with other geriatric diseases such as dementia, also puts older women at higher risk of abuse and poor health in general.

When I wake up and think about women and their health around the world, I'm reminded that the world has come a long way in recent years. We know more and we get better at applying that knowledge. For young girls to have a good start in life.

More recently, political will has increased at high levels, as evidenced by the UN Secretary-General's Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health. In some countries, the use of services, especially services related to sexual health and fertility, is increasing. Two important factors affecting women's health - girls' school enrollment and women's political participation - are increasing in many parts of the world.

But we are not there yet. In 2015, "women's empowerment" remains a dream in many countries, little more than a fancy word added to the speeches of politicians. Many women still miss out on the opportunity to get an education, advocate for themselves, and get the health care they need when they need it.

WHO is therefore working hard to strengthen health systems and ensure that countries have strong financial systems and sufficient numbers of trained and motivated health workers. That's why WHO, together with the United Nations and global partners, are coming together in New York from 9-20 March 2015 for the UN Commission on the Status of Women. We build on the commitment made in the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to renew global efforts to eliminate the disparities that keep many women from accessing adequate health services.

That's why WHO and its partners are developing a new global strategy for the health of women, children, and adolescents, and working to include women's health in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals for 2015 and beyond. It not only sets targets and indicators but also drives policy, funding, and practical efforts to deliver a healthy future for all women and girls, no matter who they are or where they live.