There is a need to create awareness about healthcare among women

On International Women’s Day, Dr Farah Ingale, Director-Internal Medicine, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital highlights that over the years, despite advancements in the healthcare sector and reduced gender disparity, women are still disadvantaged compared to men when accessing healthcare facilities

A famous slogan says, ‘healthy women, healthy world’ – this is a factual statement as women are the custodians of the health of their own families, the society, and the nation. Women, especially those living in large families, tend to focus on the health and well-being of their family members and neglect their own needs. That is why there is a need to create awareness about healthcare among women, especially because several illnesses that affect women can be prevented if diagnosis and appropriate check-ups are done on time.

In India, preventive healthcare is ignored to a significant degree, so many diseases that could be prevented generally, turn fatal. In addition, women face many socio-economic barriers, which play a crucial role in preventing them from gaining access to quality healthcare facilities. These factors include poverty, unemployment familial responsibilities, patriarchal family setting, and lack of nutrition. Over the years, despite advancements in the healthcare sector and reduced gender disparity, women are still disadvantaged compared to men when accessing healthcare facilities. Besides, many diseases and conditions are specific to women, requiring specialized care, which is often ignored by everyone involved.

Ahead are some of the socio-economic barriers women face when accessing quality healthcare facilities for women, especially in India.

Poverty and illiteracy: Ignorance, poverty and illiteracy coupled with superstitions play a significant role in hampering women’s access to health care facilities, especially in tier2 and tier3 cities. In many rural areas, women stay a considerable distance from any medical facilities, which means their access is even more limited. Further, with poor hygienic conditions, many diseases like Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection (which leads to Cervical Cancer), Genital Warts, Urinary Tract Infection (UTIs) and other serious health issues are prevalent, and because of lack of specialised care, become very difficult to diagnose and treat promptly.

Multiple and frequent pregnancies: Most live in patriarchal settings, which explains the obsession with a male child. Many families believe that a male child will further the family name, so women often get pregnant multiple times, all for the want of an heir. Also, during pregnancies, women sometimes do not receive the care and nutrition that they need. Because of this, there can be complications during birth, which affects the woman’s overall health and well-being. Further, because many families do not want a girl child, there are numerous cases of abortions, which adds to the mother’s deteriorating health and nutritional status. After delivery, a new mother should be provided with sufficient recovery time to regain the nutritional strength that she lost during pregnancy and childbirth. Multiple pregnancies can weaken the uterine muscles, resulting in postpartum Hemorrhage or excessive blood loss after delivery. According to WHO, nearly five women die every hour in India from complications during childbirth, with heavy blood loss caused by Hemorrhage being a significant factor.

Lack of nutrition: In India, a quarter of women of reproductive age are undernourished with a Body Mass Index of less than 18.5kg/m. This is an important factor, as it is well-known that an undernourished mother inevitably gives birth to an underweight baby, leading to an intergenerational cycle of undernutrition. This cycle worsens when adolescent girls begin their childbearing process before growing and developing enough. When women take only short intervals between pregnancies and have multiple children, it can increase the nutrition deficits, which are then passed on to their children. The mother’s inadequate nutrition primarily causes fetal stunting which affects the health of both the mother & the child. Further, women also tend to suffer from Anemia caused by Malaria, Hookworm infestation, and inadequate Iron and Folic Acid intake. Also, since most births, especially in rural areas, occur at home, they tend to be undertaken by people who do not have experience in childbirth or aftercare for the new baby or mother. These women do not receive proper prenatal care, and these factors result in higher maternal mortality rates in India.

Violent crimes against women: Crime against women in India is a key factor that can diminish access to quality healthcare. Every few minutes, a violent crime is reported against women in India, which depletes a woman’s emotional and physical strength. In fact, crimes against women increased 7.3 per cent from 2018 to 2019, according to the annual National Crime Record Bureau’s 2019 report. Victims in such cases do not have access to a rehabilitation centre which worsens the situation. Also, there is stigma and taboo attached to rape and violent domestic cases, which also prevents the female victims from speaking out, reaching out to doctors and experts, for critical care & treatment.

In conclusion, to enhance the health and well-being of women, there is an urgent need to address issues related to reproductive health, maternal deaths, malnutrition, and non-communicable diseases. It is equally important to ensure that quality and affordable health services are available to all women, without any barriers. All women in society must be empowered to take care of their health. After all, healthy women will ensure a healthy family, community, and nation.