Six Top issues for women's health

 Here are Six major health issues that keep me awake at night.

Cancer: The two most common cancers affecting women are breast and cervical cancer. Early detection of both cancers is important to keep women alive and healthy. The latest global figures show that nearly half a million women die each year from cervical cancer and half a million from breast cancer. The majority of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, where screening, prevention, and treatment are virtually non-existent, and where vaccination against the human papilloma virus needs to be stopped.

Reproductive health: Sexual and reproductive health problems are responsible for one-third of health problems for women 15–44 years old. Unprotected sex is a particular risk - especially between women and girls in developing countries. This is why 222 million women are unable to get contraceptive services.

Maternal health: Many women are now benefiting from the massive improvements in care during pregnancy and childbirth introduced in the last century. But these benefits do not occur everywhere, and in 2013, nearly 300,000 women died due to complications from pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these deaths were preventable, including family planning and access to some basic services.

Violence against women: Women can be subjected to various forms of violence, but physical and sexual violence - either by one partner or another - is particularly offensive. Today, one in three women under the age of 50 have experienced physical and / or sexual violence from a partner, or sexual violence from a non-partner - violence that affects their physical and mental health in the short and long term Does. is. Violence for health workers It is important that they are aware of violence, so that they can help prevent it, as well as help those who are experiencing it.

Mental health: Evidence suggests that women are more likely than men to experience anxiety, depression, and psychological complaints. Physical symptoms that cannot be medically explained. Stress is the most common mental health problem for women and suicide is the leading cause of death for women under 60 years of age. It is important to help sensitize women to mental health issues, and they must give confidence to seek help.

Noncommunicable diseases: In 2018, about 4.7 million women died of abnormal diseases before reaching the age of 70. Most of them were in low and middle income countries. He died as a result of road traffic accidents, harmful tobacco use, alcohol, drugs and substance abuse and obesity. The key to a long and healthy life is to help girls and women adopt healthy lifestyles quickly.

When I see on the global mindset about women and their health, I remind myself: The world has come a long way in recent years. We know more, and we are getting better at using our knowledge. To give young girls a good start in life.

And the UN Secretary-General's global strategy for the health of women and children, as recently clarified, has also boosted its high-level political will. In some countries, the use of services, particularly sexual and reproductive health, has increased. Two major factors affecting women's health: girls' school enrollment rates and women's political participation - have increased in many parts of the world.

That is why the World Health Organization is working to strengthen the health system and ensure that countries have strong funding arrangements and adequate numbers of trained, motivated health workers.