Globally, the disparity in women's health costs $1 trillion: Report

The World Economic Forum said on Wednesday that the enormous disparity in the way men and women are treated when it comes to health costs $1 trillion annually globally. According to the report, women suffer from poor health for a quarter longer than men do. This difference can be attributed to different emphasis placed on men in medical research, diagnosis, and treatment. By 2040, closing this gap would increase global GDP by $1 trillion, or 1.7 percent, thanks to the contribution of women, the report continued. The report was made public during the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The Swiss firm Ferring Pharmaceuticals and McKinsey Health Institute also contributed to the 42-page report. Every US dollar invested in women’s health would return three dollars in projected economic growth, the report said. A large part of this growth would come from sick women getting back into the workforce. The gender health gap causes around 75 million years of life lost due to poor health annually, equating to a week per woman every year, the report said. For example, addressing the inequities related to endometriosis and menopause – which only affect women and have long been considered under-studied – could contribute $130 billion to global GDP by 2040, it estimated. Research also suggests that fewer than half the women living with endometriosis have been properly diagnosed, the report added. The study also looked at how treatment and diagnosis has benefitted men more than women. Asthma inhalers, for example, have been found to be significantly less effective for women than men. Women are diagnosed later than men for 700 different diseases, previous research has shown. It also takes women two and a half years longer to be diagnosed with cancer. WEF healthcare head Shyam Bishen said the analysis demonstrates that “investing in women’s health must be a priority for every country”. “Beyond improving women’s quality of life, ensuring women have access to innovations in healthcare is one of the best investments that countries can make for their societies and their economies,” he said in a statement. The WEF announced it was launching the Global Alliance for Women’s Health, with $55 million pledged for women’s health. (with inputs from AFP)