Often engrossed with caring for others, women neglect their health, not realizing that they can care for others better only if they are healthy. Add to it the gender disparity that directly or indirectly prevented women until recently from caring for themselves, sharing about their health issues, and seeking medical intervention.
Women experience unique healthcare challenges, yet their healthcare always took a backseat. Healthy women are critical to maintaining healthy families and resultantly healthy communities and healthy countries.
The coronavirus pandemic has put added pressure on the woman of the family – be it ensuring nutritious meals to boost the family’s immunity or care for the positive members of the family.
Until recently, even the medical fraternity focused only on women’s reproductive or gynecological health. Apart from heart diseases, blood pressure and diabetes, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic pain, lung disease, gastrointestinal diseases are also prevalent in women. Unfortunately, these were overlooked until a few years back. The healthcare providers dealt with women differently from men, like not providing detailed information about the ailment.
In addition, hormones were blamed for a woman’s health concerns or ‘it is all in her head’. Of late, it is the lifestyle factor that is blamed. While changing lifestyle is a concern for everyone’s health, what needs to be understood is, ‘Her’ health is as important as others.
The situation is changing for good, albeit slowly. For instance, since long, heart-related diseases were considered a disease of middle-aged men. Now, doctors are taking women’s heart issues seriously. Research on women’s healthcare has increased significantly, and so has the effective delivery of healthcare services. Women’s health is the highest priority even for WHO. Several steps and healthcare programs have ensured the inclusivity of women for health-related issues.
The rise of the Femtech (Feminine Technology) market has also dramatically transformed women’s healthcare. Tech companies flood the market with innovative health technologies to create products and services specifically for women.
Digital healthcare has come as a boon for women, particularly during the pandemic. Though emerging technologies gave impetus to digital healthcare, women used it optimally during the coronavirus pandemic. It proved most beneficial for pregnant women vulnerable to infections in medical establishments.
We cherish those healthcare companies empowering women through their products and services to make informed choices about their health.
Read about their illustrious journey in our latest edition of Insights Care - 10 Leading Companies Shaping the Future of Women’s Health, 2021.
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