CHALLENGES TO THE HEALTH OF WOMEN & CHILDREN

B.A. Ist (Honors), Lecture Series-6

(Paper-IInd : Social Psychology)

By

Dr. Masaud Ansari

Department of Psychology,

A.P.S.M. College, Barauni

L. N. M. University, Darbhanga 12 9 t h S E P T E M B ER 2 0 2 0

Challenges to the health of women and children

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Women in India face issues like malnutrition, lack of maternal health, diseases like AIDS , breast

cancer, domestic violence and many more. Nutrition plays a major role in and individual's overall health,

psychological and physical health status is often dramatically impacted by the presence of malnutrition.

We have come a long way since 1995--and it is time to celebrate women and their achievements. But

it is also time to take stock of how women’s rights are fulfilled in the world --especially the right to health.

Twenty years after countries signed pledges in the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action, women still

face many health problems and we must re-commit to addressing them (Dr Flavia Bustreo, Assistant Director

General for Family,Women’s and Children’s Health through the Life-course, World Health Organization).

Ten top issues for women's health

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Here are ten of the main issues regarding women's health that keep me awake at night:

1. Cancer

2. Reproductive health

3. Maternal health

4. HIV

5. Sexually transmitted infections

6. Violence against women

7. Mental health

8. Non-communicable diseases

9. Being young

10. Getting older

1. Cancer

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Two of the most common cancers affecting women are breast and cervical cancers. Detecting both

these cancers early is key to keeping women alive and healthy. The latest global figures show that around half a

million women die from cervical cancer and half a million from breast cancer each year. The vast majority of

these deaths occur in low and middle income countries where screening, prevention and treatment are almost non-

existent, and where vaccination against human papilloma virus needs to take hold.

2. Reproductive Health

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Sexual and reproductive health problems are responsible for one third of health issues for women

between the ages of 15 and 44 years. Unsafe sex is a major risk factor – particularly among women and girls

in developing countries. This is why it is so important to get services to the 222 million women who aren’t

getting the contraception services they need.

3. Maternal Health

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Many women are now benefitting from massive improvements in care during pregnancy and

childbirth introduced in the last century. But those benefits do not extend everywhere and in 2013, almost

300000 women died from complications in pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these deaths could have been

prevented, had access to family planning and to some quite basic services been in place..

4. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

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Three decades into the AIDS epidemic, it is young women who bear the brunt of new HIV infections.

Too many young women still struggle to protect themselves against sexual transmission of HIV and to get the

treatment they require. This also leaves them particularly vulnerable to tuberculosis - one of the leading causes

of death in low-income countries of women 20–59 years.

5. Sexually Transmitted Infections

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I’ve already mentioned the importance of protecting against HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV)

infection (the world’s most common STI). But it is also vital to do a better job of preventing and treating

diseases like gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis. Untreated syphilis is responsible for more than 200,000

stillbirths and early fetal deaths every year, and for the deaths of over 90 000 newborns.

6. Violence against Women

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Women can be subject to a range of different forms of violence, but physical and sexual violence –

either by a partner or someone else – is particularly invidious. Today, one in three women under 50 has

experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a partner, or non-partner sexual violence – violence which

affects their physical and mental health in the short and long-term. It’s important for health workers to be alert to

violence so they can help prevent it, as well as provide support to people who experience it.

7. Mental Health

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Evidence suggests that women are more prone than men to experience anxiety, depression, and somatic

complaints – physical symptoms that cannot be explained medically. Depression is the most common mental health

problem for women and suicide a leading cause of death for women under 60. Helping sensitize women to

mental health issues, and giving them the confidence to seek assistance, is vital.

8. Non-communicable Diseases

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In 2012, some 4.7 million women died from noncommunicable diseases before they reached the age

of 70 —most of them in low- and middle-income countries. They died as a result of road traffic accidents,

harmful use of tobacco, abuse of alcohol, drugs and substances, and obesity -- more than 50% of women are

overweight in Europe and the Americas. Helping girls and women adopt healthy lifestyles early on is key to a

long and healthy life.

9. Being Young

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Adolescent girls face a number of sexual and reproductive health challenges: STIs, HIV, and

pregnancy. About 13 million adolescent girls (under 20) give birth every year. Complications from those

pregnancies and childbirth are a leading cause of death for those young mothers. Many suffer the

consequences of unsafe abortion.

10. Getting Older

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Having often worked in the home, older women may have fewer pensions and benefits, less access to

health care and social services than their male counterparts. Combine the greater risk of poverty with other

conditions of old age, like dementia, and older women also have a higher risk of abuse and generally, poor

health.

Conti…

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There has been an upsurge in high-level political will – evidenced most recently in the United Nations

Secretary-General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health. Use of services, especially those for

sexual and reproductive health, has increased in some countries. Two important factors that influence women’s

health – namely, school enrolment rates for girls and greater political participation of women - have risen in many

parts of the world.

But we are not there yet. In 2015, in too many countries, “women’s empowerment” remains a pipedream

- little more than a rhetorical flourish added to a politician’s speech. Too many women are still missing out on the

opportunity to get educated, support themselves, and obtain the health services they need, when they need them.

Conti…

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WHO and its partners are developing a new global strategy for women’s, children’s and

adolescents’ health, and working to enshrine the health of women in the post 2015 United Nations’ Sustainable

Development Goals. This means not only setting targets and indicators, but catalyzing commitments in terms of

policy, financing and action, to ensure that the future will bring health to all women and girls – whoever they

are, wherever they live.

Ways to boost women’s health

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To look and feel best at every age, it’s important to make smart lifestyle and health choices. Here

are six simple things that women can do every day (or with regularity) to ensure good health:

1. Eat a healthy diet

2. Exercise

3. Avoid risky habits

4. Manage Stress

5. Sun Safely

6. Check for breast cancer

1. Eat a healthy diet

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“You want to eat as close to a natural foods diet as you can,” says Donald Novey, MD, an integrative

medicine physician with the Advocate Medical Group in Park Ridge, Ill. That means a variety of fresh fruits and

vegetables and fewer processed foods. Eat whole grains and high-fiber foods and choose leaner cuts of meat,

fish, and poultry. Include low-fat dairy products in your diet as well — depending on your age, you need

between 800 and 1,500 milligrams of calcium daily to help avoid osteoporosis, Dr. Novey says. Avoid foods

and beverages that are high in calories, sugar, salt, and fat.

Healthy eating will help you maintain a proper weight for your height, which is important because

being overweight can lead to a number of illnesses. Looking for a healthy snack? Try some raw vegetables,

such as celery, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, or zucchini with dip made from low-fat yogurt. If you’re not getting

enough vitamins and nutrients in your diet, you might want to take a multivitamin and a calcium supplement to

make sure you’re maintaining good health.

2. Exercise

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Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in America, but plenty of exercise can

help keep your heart healthy. You want to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, if not every

day. Aerobic exercises (walking, swimming, jogging, bicycling, dancing) are good for women’s health in general

and especially for your heart, says Sabrena Merrill, MS, of Lawrence, Kan., a certified personal trainer and

group fitness instructor and a spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise.

3. Avoid risky habits

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Stay away from cigarettes and people who smoke. Don’t use drugs. If you drink alcohol, do so in

moderation. Most women’s health studies show that women can safely consume one drink a day. A drink is

considered to be about 12 to 14 grams of alcohol, which is equal to 12 ounces of beer (4.5 percent alcohol); 5

ounces of wine (12.9 percent alcohol); or 1.5 ounces of spirits (hard liquor such as gin or whiskey, 80-proof).

4. Manage Stress

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No matter what stage of her life — daughter, mother, grandmother — a woman often wears many

hats and deals with a lot of pressure and stress. “Take a few minutes every day just to relax and get your

perspective back again,” Novey says. “It doesn’t take long, and mental health is important to your physical

well-being.” You also can manage stress with exercise, relaxation techniques, or meditation.

5. Sun Safely

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Excessive exposure to the sun’s harmful rays can cause skin cancer, which can be deadly. To protect

against skin cancer, wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 if you are going to be

outdoors for more than a few minutes. Even if you wear sunscreen faithfully, you should check regularly for signs

of skin cancer. Warning signs include any changes in the size, shape, color, or feel of birthmarks, moles, or

freckles, or new, enlarging, pigmented, or red skin areas. If you spot any changes or you find you have sores

that are not healing, consult your doctor.

6. Check for breast cancer

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The American Cancer Society no longer recommends monthly breast self-exams for women. However,

it still suggests them as “an option” for women, starting in their 20s. You should be on the lookout for any

changes in your breasts and report any concerns to your doctor. All women 40 and older should get a yearly

mammogram as a mammogram is the most effective way of detecting cancer in its earliest stages, when it is

most treatable.

India at a glance

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Total population (2016) 1,324,171,000

Gross national income per capita (PPP international $, 2013) 5,350

Life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2016) 67/70

Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births, 2018) 37

Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population, 2016) 214/138

Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2014) 267

Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2014) 4.7

Latest data available from the Global Health Observatory

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