According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, the major killers of women aged 15 to 45 worldwide; include the HIV virus, pregnancy-related conditions and tuberculosis.

Regardless of age, heart attacks and strokes are the leading cause of death amongst women, diseases commonly thought to be male problems. Further, since women exhibit different symptoms than men, this complicates the diagnoses of these diseases, including the fact that women develop heart disease much later in life compared to men.

Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO in her press release states, despite considerable progress, society as a whole has not been able to meet the needs of women at key moments in their lives. In the report entitled: ‘Women And Health: Today’s Evidence Tomorrow’s Agenda’, Dr. Chan asks urgent action be taken in global health sectors worldwide for improving the lives of girls and women from birth to old age.

‘Paradoxically, health systems are often unresponsive to the needs of women, despite the fact that women themselves are major contributors to health, through their roles as primary care givers in the family and also health care providers,’ it said.

According to worldwide estimates, the bulk of health care in the home or the health care system is provided by women. For example, 80 to 90% of care for HIV/AIDS is provided by women, in the home, with the women often going unsupported and unpaid.

While, pregnancy care is more likely to be available to women, treatment for mental health, sexual violence and cervical cancer is less available. As well, while ignoring the needs of single women and adolescents, many countries put the focus on the sexual and reproductive health of married women.

‘It’s time to pay girls and women back,’ said Dr. Chan, ‘to make sure they get the care and support they need to enjoy a fundamental human right at every moment of their lives, that is their right to health.’

In today’s world, women worldwide face similar challenges, including discrimination, violence and poverty, only increasing their risk of poor health.

Dr. Chan believes that as long as women are regarded as second-class citizens, even while men continue to wield political, social and economic control, we will not see significant progress. This is of great concern to the health sector, as unequal power relations equate into unequal health care access and unequal control over health resources.

The report states, it is essential to take into account gender inequality, socio-economic and cultural barriers that prevent women from protecting their health.

Despite, living six to eight years longer than men, women lack essential health care throughout their lives, ‘denied a chance to develop their full human potential,’ because many critical medical needs are simply ignored.

Though, women tend to seek out medical services much more than men, they often fail to get adequate treatment to help them cope with violence, depression and old age problems like dementia.

Women are more likely than men to suffer from depression and anxiety, including more likely to catch sexually transmitted diseases. They are also overwhelmingly more likely to be victims of sexual violence than men, while elderly health problems like eyesight and hearing loss, arthritis, depression and dementia often go untreated.

In addition, the WHO report found women have unequal access to education, employment and fair wages, presenting obstacles to women’s health, especially as medical insurance is linked to work, or user fees are required for accessing basic services.