LEIPZIG, Germany: The World Health Organization (WHO) has stressed the need to improve health care for woman, especially those services pertaining to key stages of life, such as adolescence and older age. According to a new report by the organisation, lack of access to education, decision-making positions and income limit women’s ability to protect their own health and that of their families. Policy change and action is needed within the health sector and beyond to remove these barriers, WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said.

According to Dr Chan, women provide between 80 and 90 per cent of health care worldwide, whether in the home or as nurses, but rarely receive the care they need themselves. For example, in many countries sexual and reproductive health services tend to focus exclusively on married women. Few services also cater for marginalised groups of women, such as sex workers, intravenous drug users, ethnic minorities and rural women.

Although considered to be ‘male problems’, heart attacks and strokes are two leading global causes of death of women—who often exhibit different symptoms from men. HIV/Aids, pregnancy-related conditions and tuberculosis are other causes of death and disease of women aged between 15 and 45.

The WHO report seeks to identify key areas for reform both within and outside the health sector, including improving health systems to better meet women’s needs throughout their lives, as well as leveraging changes in public policy to address and monitor the ways social and economic determinants of health adversely affect women. It points out that strategies to improve women’s health care must take full account of gender inequality and address the specific socio-economic and cultural barriers that prevent women from protecting and improving their health.

“It’s time to pay girls and women back, to make sure that they get the care and support they need to enjoy a fundamental human right at every moment of their lives, that is their right to health,” Dr Chan said.