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Blueprint to Close the Women’s Health Gap: Unlocking Lives, Economies, and Potential


The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the McKinsey Health Institute, has released a groundbreaking report titled the "Blueprint to Close the Women’s Health Gap," shining a light on the economic and societal benefits of prioritising women’s health. This report underscores the potential to transform lives, reduce global inequities, and stimulate economies by addressing pervasive disparities in women’s healthcare.


Women’s health remains one of the most underserved and underfunded areas of global health, with millions of women suffering from preventable or treatable conditions that affect their quality of life and ability to contribute to society. By addressing these gaps, the report argues, the world can unlock unprecedented social and economic gains.


The Conditions Behind the Gap


The report focuses on nine key conditions that disproportionately impact women and account for one-third of the women’s health gap.


These conditions include:

  • Breast cancer

  • Cervical cancer

  • Menopause

  • Endometriosis

  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

  • Post-partum hemorrhage

  • Maternal hypertensive disorders

  • Migraines

  • Ischemic heart disease


These health challenges affect women at every stage of life, often leading to prolonged suffering, productivity losses, and economic strain. Addressing these conditions could yield transformative results.


The Economic and Societal Potential


The report estimates that closing the women’s health gap could generate $400 billion in global GDP by 2040 and add nearly 27 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) annually. This translates into 2.5 additional healthy days per year for every woman, significantly improving global productivity and quality of life.


Women’s health has long been overlooked in medical research, funding, and policy planning. For example, conditions like endometriosis, which affects 1 in 10 women globally, remain poorly understood and grossly underfunded. Menopause, which impacts nearly half the world’s population at some point, is often neglected in workplace policies and healthcare initiatives.


Introducing the Women’s Health Impact Tracking (WHIT) Platform


To drive accountability and measurable progress, the report introduces the Women’s Health Impact Tracking (WHIT) platform. This pioneering tool tracks health disparities, treatment gaps, and funding allocations globally, offering critical insights for policymakers and healthcare providers.


Five Key Actions to Close the Gap


The blueprint outlines five critical actions to address disparities in women’s health:

  1. Count Women: Accurately measure and track women’s health outcomes worldwide to identify gaps and disparities.

  2. Study Women: Invest in research to understand women’s biology, hormonal health, and conditions unique to or more prevalent in women.

  3. Care for Women: Develop clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) tailored to women’s specific needs and account for sex-specific differences in treatments.

  4. Include All Women: Ensure accessible, affordable, and equitable healthcare solutions for underserved populations, enabling early intervention and treatment.

  5. Invest in Women: Increase funding for women’s health research, care delivery, and innovative treatments, ensuring resources are allocated proportionately to women’s health needs.


A Call to Action


The Blueprint to Close the Women’s Health Gap is more than a report—it’s a global call to action. Governments, healthcare systems, researchers, and investors must work collaboratively to address these disparities. Closing the women’s health gap is not only a moral imperative but an economic necessity that benefits everyone.


The path forward is clear: prioritising women’s health leads to stronger, more inclusive economies and healthier, happier societies. It’s time to act decisively to improve the lives of women and unlock their full potential.

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