In News:

The World Economic Forum (WEF), in collaboration with the McKinsey Health Institute, released the report titled “Blueprint to Close the Women’s Health Gap”, highlighting the economic and social benefits of addressing gender-based health disparities.

Key Insights from the Report:

Economic Potential:

• Closing the women’s health gap could contribute $400 billion to global GDP by 2040.
• Focusing on just three conditions—menopause, PMS, and migraine—could unlock $315 billion in productivity.

Health Disparity:

• Women experience 25% more years of poor health than men.
• Root causes include underrepresentation in research and sex-neutral clinical guidelines.
• Only 10% of trials on major conditions like ischemic heart disease and migraine include sex-disaggregated data.

Key Health Conditions Identified:

Lifespan Conditions:

• Maternal hypertensive disorders
• Postpartum hemorrhage
• Ischemic heart disease
• Cervical cancer
• Breast cancer

Health Span Conditions:

• Endometriosis
• Menopause
• Migraine
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Addressing these can add 2.5 healthy days per woman per year globally.

Women’s Health Impact Tracking (WHIT):

• A public digital platform by WEF and McKinsey.
• Tracks global health disparities.
• Offers data-driven insights to guide investment and policy decisions, especially for low- and middle-income countries which face 54% of the global women's health burden, yet host only 23% of related clinical trials.

Five Strategic Actions for Stakeholders:

• Count Women – Improve data collection specific to women’s health.
• Study Women – Boost research funding on women-centric health conditions.
• Care for Women – Create tailored clinical guidelines and protocols.
• Include All Women – Ensure equity for marginalized groups.
• Invest in Women – Finance innovative healthcare solutions and service delivery models.