Recent findings from the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index indicate that the state of women’s healthcare in the UK has not shown improvement on average since 2020, trailing behind several other nations.
The survey, which polled 79,000 women across 143 countries on various health and wellbeing aspects, included a league table ranking women’s healthcare and wellbeing globally based on the responses. According to the report, the UK was positioned at 37th place globally, dropping from its 30th ranking in the previous report. Tim Simpson, general manager at Hologic, suggested that this decline was attributable to advancements in other countries, resulting in them “leapfrogging” the UK.
Simpson remarked, “Despite significant potential for progress, the UK is being leapfrogged by other countries, which are making more substantial gains in women’s health. This underscores an urgent need for enhanced focus on topics like preventative measures and pregnancy care, to not only catch up but to set a standard for women’s health globally.”
The top 10 countries for women’s health, as per the survey, included China(Taiwan), Kuwait, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, Japan, Denmark, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
Topics addressed in the survey encompassed access to preventive care, prevalence of domestic violence, pregnancy and birth experiences, as well as access to basic necessities such as food and shelter. Participants were also questioned about their mental and physical health and its impact on their daily lives.
Key findings revealed that women in the UK were less likely than those in EU countries to have accessed preventive care within the past year, including screenings for high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and sexually-transmitted infections. Furthermore, satisfaction with healthcare access among UK women had decreased from three-quarters in 2020 to two-thirds. Mental wellbeing among UK women also displayed a downward trend, with feelings of sadness increasing annually since 2020. Approximately two in five UK women reported experiencing daily worry and stress, with higher rates of sadness, anger, and stress compared to their counterparts in EU countries.
The report highlighted that these trends suggest a stagnation in women’s health and wellbeing since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite certain countries showing improvement, deterioration, or stagnation, the global index score remained unchanged from 2020.
Notably, the survey underscored that higher incomes and healthcare spending per capita do not guarantee higher index scores. Similar to the UK, the US experienced a drop of seven places in the rankings, falling from 23rd to 30th place despite its status as a high-income country.
Stephen Macmillion, CEO of Hologic, expressed concern over the survey results but also conveyed determination to enhance women’s health globally. He stated, “While the most recent Hologic Global Women’s Health Index survey results give us cause for concern, they also inspire us to redouble our efforts to enable healthier lives everywhere, every day, no matter where women live, how much money they have or their level of education.”
