The United Kingdom is facing a growing crisis in women's health, as its ranking in the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index has fallen for the fourth consecutive year. Despite being the sixth richest country in the world, the UK has dropped to 41st place out of 142 countries down from 30th in 2023 and 37th last year. Strikingly, countries such as Kosovo, Kazakhstan, and Saudi Arabia ranked higher.
This annual index is based on a survey of more than 78,000 women worldwide, assessing women's overall health through indicators such as medical issues, personal safety, access to healthcare, and mental wellbeing. The report highlighted a significant decline in the quality of maternity care, with British women less likely to undergo preventive screenings for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer compared to women in economically similar nations.
In addition to physical health challenges, the report pointed to a rise in negative emotions among British women, including sadness, stress, and anger as a clear increase from five years ago. This reality reflects an escalating mental health crisis, further complicating the overall healthcare landscape.
Tim Simpson, a spokesperson for health tech firm Hologic, described the ongoing decline as "a four-year slide that cannot be ignored." Janet Lindsay, CEO of the charity Wellbeing of Women, called the figures "unacceptable for a wealthy nation," noting that the current situation reflects years of underinvestment in women’s health.
While Taiwan and Kuwait topped the global ranking with scores of 68 and 67 respectively, the UK scored just 59 and trailing behind countries like Kazakhstan (63), Saudi Arabia (63), and Kosovo (60). Within Europe, the UK ranked 23rd out of 31 nations included in the index.
In an official response, the British Department of Health stated it is working to rebuild the healthcare system to better serve women’s needs, with gender equality set to be a core pillar of a new ten-year health plan. However, the question remains: are political promises enough to make up for years of neglect and poor planning, as British women continue to suffer across all dimensions of physical and mental health?
Source:
https://www.thesun.ie/health/15444732/uk-drops-down-global-womens-health-league
