How the UK could recoup its investment in women's health ten-fold

Women’s health has been consistently overlooked and underfunded. From reproductive health to chronic diseases that disproportionately affect women, the challenges are vast and varied. And they have historically been relegated to the sidelines of medical research, education, healthcare policy and services.

But it’s becoming increasingly clear that investing in women's health isn't just a matter of equity – it's an economic imperative. A recent report reveals a staggering figure: the UK economy stands to gain £319 million ($417m) in gross value added (GVA) by prioritizing women's health.

Produced by the NHS Confederation, the membership body for the healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the report shows for every £1 ($1.30) spent on obstetrics and gynaecology, there is an estimated return on investment of £11 ($14.40). This means if an extra £1 per woman in England – or £29.1m ($38m) – were invested in these services, the economy would see a return of more than 10 times that.

The report highlights how deeply entrenched and systemic gender bias in healthcare is, resulting in women’s health being long deprioritized in the UK and elsewhere. The initial investment required to improve women’s health is relatively modest compared to the growing costs incurred by the NHS and society more broadly as a direct result of neglecting this issue, it says.

The health gender gap is larger in parts of England with greater ethnic diversity, where access to women’s health services is typically poorer. Additionally, more deprived areas also reported poorer health outcomes for women.

The report focuses on a number of conditions uniquely or disproportionately affecting women. It finds the economic cost to the UK of absenteeism due to severe period pain and heavy periods alongside endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts is estimated to be nearly £11 billion ($14.4bn) per annum. Meanwhile, unemployment due to menopause symptoms has a direct economic impact of approximately £1.5 billion ($2bn) a year. An estimated 60,000 women in the UK are not in employment because of menopause symptoms.

There is also a correlation between gynaecological conditions and poor physical and mental health, which in turn has an impact on women’s ability to go about their work and home lives. Women are disproportionately more likely to be out of formal work and economically inactive than men in the UK, with long-term sickness being a major reason for this.

Recommendations to close the gender health gap include allocating resources and funding according to variations in need around the country and the appointment of an ambassador for women’s health, focused specifically on improving outcomes for Black, Asian and minority ethnic women.

Additional funding is needed for research into the different ways women are affected by conditions compared to men, the report says, alongside funding for research into conditions uniquely affecting women.

The strong economic argument for investing in women’s health is far from a UK issue alone. The World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute report, Closing the Women’s Health Gap, shows that closing the gender health gap could boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040.

Women spend around 25% more time in poor health than men, it says, and addressing the women’s health gap could generate the equivalent impact of 137 million women accessing full-time employment by 2040.

“Women make up 51% of the population, account for about 49% of the formal workforce, and are responsible for most of the economic and healthcare decisions, yet they are still undermined and viewed as a niche,” says Amira Ghouaibi, Head of Women’s Health at the Forum and co-author of the gender health gap report.

Recognizing the fact that underinvestment in women’s health is costing the global economy, the Forum’s Global Alliance for Women’s Health aims to change how women’s health is prioritized and funded. It focuses on unlocking investment, supporting science and innovation and helping set the agenda.

“Looking at the economic case for women’s health is imperative, so their needs are properly addressed, and the full potential of their contributions to society and the economy can be realized,” says Ghouaibi.