Women’s health no better than at pandemic height: Survey

Women’s health around the world is “no better” than it was at the height of the pandemic, according to a recently released survey.

“Across key health measures, women are no better off today than they were in the first year of the survey, which was conducted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the 2024 Hologic Global Women’s Health Index report states.

“In some cases, their health is worse. Billions of women have physical or emotional health issues, aren’t getting tested for deadly diseases, or are struggling to afford food,” it added.

The study found that in 2022, measures of health like reporting physical pain and negative emotions were no better than in previous years. More women reported experiencing anger for “a lot of” the previous day in 2022, at 25 percent, compared to 23 percent who said the same two years earlier.

“Negative emotions can become unhealthy and signal more serious conditions, such as anxiety and depressive disorders or other mental health diagnoses,” the report said.

The report highlighted data showing more women reported experiencing worry for “a lot of” the previous day, increasing from 40 percent in 2020 to 42 percent in 2022. The percentage reporting physical pain increased from 30 percent to 34 percent during the same period.

More women also faced hurdles, such as having problems with affording food, ticking up from 34 percent to 36 percent, according to the report.

“Hunger or undernourishment is also a leading risk factor for death and other negative health outcomes — leading to 9 million deaths a year, more than the death toll from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined,” the report said.

The Hologic Global Women’s Health Index surveyed more than 147,000 women and men from 143 countries and territories in 2022.