Madhivanan Chapter The health of the world's women (original) (raw)
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International Journal of Epidemiology, 1986
The United Nations Decade for Women ended in July 1985. The occasion was marked by a conference in Nairobi, at which the accomplishments of the decade were assessed and strategies for the future planned. A review of health trends among women was part of that assessment. 1 This review raises many questions of interest to epidemiologists, such as: how do the differences between the sexes (biological or social, separate or interacting) affect the health status of women and men in different parts of the world? Are these effects changing over time? Is all equality beneficial?
Beyond reproduction: Women's health in today's developing world
International Journal of Epidemiology, 2005
Background The concept of women's health is tethered strongly to reproductive health. At present, international attention and resources are focused on obstetric events and, recently, HIV/AIDS because of the significance of these problems in the least developed nations. This limited concept of women's health, however, is decreasingly relevant to the global community, and needs to be revisited in the light of decreasing fertility and increasing life expectancy in many countries where it was previously applicable. It should be expanded to embrace the full spectrum of health experienced by women, and preventive and remedial approaches to the major conditions that afflict women. Allocation of health service resources should be aligned with the epidemiological realities of these threats to women's health. Methods Cause of death data for women aged 15-34 years and 35-44 years were examined for nine less developed countries. Deaths associated with pregnancy and child birth, and HIV were compared with deaths due to three chronic disease categories (cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes). The women's health research literature for developing countries appearing in the American Journal of Public Health and British Medical Journal was also examined. Results In seven out of the nine countries, among women aged 15-34 years, chronic diseases caused over 20% of deaths, while reproductive causes and HIV together accounted for ~10% of deaths, in all countries except in India. Among women aged 35-44 years, in all but India, chronic diseases accounted for over four times the deaths attributable to reproductive causes and HIV. The causes of death were not related to the level of development in these countries as measured by GNI PPP. Papers pertaining to women's health published in public health and medical research journals focused principally on reproduction. Conclusions Extending the definition of women's health to include a concern for chronic diseases is critical if the needs of women in less developed nations are to be met. In less developed countries, chronic disease is the most important cause of female death even during childbearing years and for women with young families. Development agencies and private philanthropy must begin to fund the studies that will further refine our understanding of the role of chronic diseases in women's health in the developing world.
Contraception, 2014
Objective: The objective was to provide a summary description of the current status of women's health globally and trends since the 1990s. Study design: A compilation and analytic review of available information was performed. Results: Globally, a woman born in 2010 could expect to live some 3½ years longer than her sister born just a decade earlier in 2000 and over 8 years longer than her mother or aunt born in 1980. These huge gains in health have, however, been unevenly spread, and in many parts of the world, women's lives continue to be diminished by preventable illness and premature death due to social and gender inequalities and health system inadequacies. These are most acute in poor countries and among the poorest women everywhere. Health problems that are not adequately addressed in childhood, adolescence and the reproductive years have serious adverse repercussions for the children women bear and cast a long shadow on their own health as they age. Conclusion: Improvements in health, demographic, economic, social and environmental conditions have brought significant benefits to women in terms of their health and development but are also associated with new challenges, especially for the poorest women. As the causes of death and disability change from those associated with acute conditionsinfectious diseases and pregnancy-related complicationsto chronic, long-term conditionscancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and mental ill-healthwomen will be faced with accessing and paying for medical care and medicines. Many of these chronic conditions can, however, be prevented by a combination of behavioral change and early detection. Paying due attention to the health of girls and women today is an investment not just for the present but also for the future and for coming generations. Implications: The findings of this review have important implications for health systems as well as for broader policy dialogue on the underlying determinants of women's health including gender-based inequalities and discrimination. Health systems need to be structured and managed in ways that are responsive to the needs of girls and women, both for information and for care. Impediments to accessincluding distance, costs, lack of acceptability and discriminationmust be removed. Women themselves should be involved in designing and delivering health services that meet their needs as patients. They need support also in carrying out their roles as carers, both in the formal health care sector and within families and communities. Strategies to improve women's health must take full account of the underlying determinants of healthparticularly gender inequalityand address the specific socioeconomic and cultural barriers that hamper women in protecting and improving their health.
Maternal Mortality: Tragedy for Developing Countries and Shame for Developed World
Donald School Journal of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Aim: To present the data from United Nations 2005 and 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDG) reports. Results: The World is faced with the increasing problem of inequality. That is why millennium declaration was signed in the year 2000. The United Nations millennium declaration embodies an agreement that developing countries will work to maintain sound economies, to ensure their own development and to address human and social needs. Developed countries, in turn, agree to support poorer countries through aid, trade, and debt relief. A meaningful partnership between rich and poor must also address developing countries' need for technology, medicines, and jobs for their populations, particularly for the growing ranks of young people. In this paper, two MDG reports from 2005 to 2015 were presented with the analysis of the reasons for which the targets of MDG were not met and how World