Counting the cost: the economic impact of underserving women's health
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Women's health is not a niche policy concern. It affects half the population, causing individual suffering and carrying significant implications for society. Yet, women's health remains systemically underserved, with longstanding inequalities continuing to shape health outcomes – and, in turn, the economy.
Health services specific to women have been historically deprioritised, limiting access to ordinary care needs. Besides reproductive and gynaecological care, there are many conditions that affect women disproportionately, or present differently in women, which are overlooked because healthcare services are designed from research based on men. This leaves many women without timely diagnosis or effective support.
The consequences are felt far beyond individual health. Poor health can limit women’s ability to participate fully in the labour market, contributing to reduced productivity and workforce exit. And when a family member needs care, that responsibility falls disproportionately to women, further constraining their ability to work. With boosting economic growth sitting at the centre of the current agenda, these barriers carry a substantial societal cost.
Improving women's health is not about better outcomes for a minority of patients. It is about giving half the population the care they are owed, and building a healthier, more productive, and more prosperous society.
This paper explores how the systemic underservice of women’s health affects the economy and lays out ways that health system could support more women stay healthy and in work.
This paper was kindly supported by UCB UK & Ireland.