Women's Health is Societies' Wealth

A woman's health needs and the challenges she faces vary during her life span. According to a recent report released by the World Health Organization, heart disease, including stroke, is the leading cause of death among women in high-income countries, and the second most importance cause in low- and middle-income countries. Women in developing countries also face the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, even after controlling for education and household income, causality for these women differ markedly. Other factors that include a woman's life style, overall awareness/ education ,levels , stress status and level of empowerment within her community and family, in addition to the interplay of biological and social factors, also serve as deterrents to her health as they may result in limited access to health care and increase her exposure and vulnerability to risk. Just as critically, diminished health or ability to earn appropriately results in more women in all countries retiring in poverty. This presentation will present some of the challenges faced by women in their fourth, fifth, and sixth decades, incorporating a holistic perspective that goes beyond the more commonly considered determinants of health such as education , empowerment and socio- economic status. Strategies and public health policy initiatives developed globally to address the special health needs of women in this age group and the important role of NGOs to promote women's health in developing countries, will also be discussed.