Reimagining women’s health is a global imperative

Abstract

The choices and investments we make to advance women’s health now will define our shared health and prosperity in the future Imagine a world where women and girls do not just survive—they thrive. A world where women live longer, healthier lives because of more rigorous and inclusive research and policies. Where health systems—from London to Nairobi to Jakarta—deliver female centred care, and where conditions that can be detrimental to women’s lives, such as endometriosis, autoimmune diseases, or pregnancy complications, are met with rapid research, timely diagnoses, and effective treatments. It is a world where the health of women, who comprise more than a half of the global population, is just health, not a niche issue. This world is achievable—if we invest in it now. Historically, women’s health in global settings has been under-researched and underfunded.1 The damaging consequences of this include maternal deaths from preventable causes; chronic diseases that go undiagnosed or poorly managed for years; and a lack of affordable, accessible tools that reflect women’s lived realities and preferences across their lifespans.23 We know the fundamental changes that are required in study design and systems to substantially improve women’s health. First, the data must be improved. In October 2023, the …