Investing in women’s health could save the UK economy £11bn each year

Unfortunately, it seems that women’s suffering has not been enough for medical experts to address the gender health gap.

The report states that ‘untreated health issues do not just affect individual lives—they result in lost days of work and lower productivity.’ If you don’t care about women’s wellbeing enough to help improve it, at least do so for the sake of the economy!

A feeling of cynicism is hard to avoid when it comes to this topic, as it feels incomprehensible that health issues that affect 51 percent of the population continue to be treated as too complicated, too mysterious, or completely foreign.

Take, for example, the 60,000 women in the UK who are unable to work due to the impact of menopause symptoms. They experience symptoms like hot flushes, brain fog, muscle pains, and difficulty sleeping.

Unemployment due to menopause costs the government around £1.5 billion a year.

Socioeconomic factors and access to women’s health services impact women’s health outcomes.

Areas with ethnically diverse populations were found to offer poorer access to the women’s health services. It was also reported that areas with higher levels of deprivation result in worse overall health outcomes for women.

Last year, the government announced a £25 million in funding across two years for women’s care centres in the UK.

Still, the NHS Confederation says there is an urgent need for sustainable funding to support research that ultimately addresses women’s health issues.

By measuring the economic consequences of leaving women’s health issues unresolved, the report makes a compelling case for government everywhere to take action to resolve their shortcomings.

Let’s hope it results in serious social change.