Women’s rights have undeniably advanced in recent years, with access to education, political and economic participation and the right to vote no longer distant aspirations for many women around the world. However, these advances coexist with persistent challenges, among which inequitable access to healthcare remains crucial. This inequality is particularly glaring in developing countries, where women face multiple discriminations that affect various aspects of their daily lives, including their access to essential health care, especially sexual health.
Inequalities in access to healthcare
According to WHO (2015), 830 women lose their lives every day as a result of complications related to pregnancy or childbirth, and 99% of these deaths are concentrated in developing countries. Beyond geographical and infrastructural challenges, women face real inequality in healthcare, resulting from economic, cultural and political discrimination. However, progress is being made thanks to collective action. For example, maternal mortality has seen a dramatic reduction of almost 44% between 1990 and 2015 worldwide. Organizations such as Plan International are playing a vital role by facilitating women’s access to healthcare, building health centers, providing medical equipment and raising community awareness of the importance of care for women, while avoiding repetition.
Persistent challenges to women’s health worldwide
Unequal access to healthcare represents a major challenge for women worldwide. This inequality manifests itself in a variety of ways, including disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, access to contraception and the risks associated with motherhood, especially in certain regions of the world.
- Disparities in disease diagnosis and treatment: Symptoms of disease can differ between women and men, which can delay diagnosis and appropriate treatment. For example, women may experience different chest pain from men during a heart attack, which can lead to later consultation and more serious complications. Women are also more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses, such as arthritis and fibromyalgia, which can be difficult to diagnose and treat.
- Increased risks for pregnant women in developing countries: Lack of access to quality prenatal and obstetric care exposes pregnant women in developing countries to increased risks of complications during childbirth. This is the case in Africa, for example. Maternal mortality is still high in some parts of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
- Lack of access to contraception and safe abortion: In many countries, women do not have access to modern contraception, which can expose them to unwanted pregnancies and health risks. Abortion is often illegal or restrictive, which can force women to resort to dangerous practices to end an unwanted pregnancy.
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Focus on women’s access to healthcare worldwide
Let’s take a few concrete examples to illustrate the challenges of access to healthcare for women around the world.
- Differences in disease symptoms between men and women. As mentioned above, women may have different symptoms from men for certain diseases, such as heart attacks. This can delay diagnosis and treatment, with serious consequences for women’s health. Here’s an infographic on the warning signs of heart attacks in women.
- Breast cancer survival rates vary from country to country. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Survival rates vary considerably from country to country, depending on access to screening, diagnosis and treatment.
- High maternal mortality in developing countries. Maternal mortality remains a major problem in developing countries, where pregnant women often lack quality prenatal and obstetric care.
The life expectancy gap: a consequence of inequalities in access to healthcare services
Equitable access to healthcare is essential to reduce maternal deaths and improve women’s life expectancy. Gender disparities in health are evident in the differences in life expectancy between rich and poor countries. For example, women generally live longer than men, especially in wealthier countries where health services are more accessible. In low-income countries, where health services are scarce, women are more likely to die from maternity-related causes.
Santexpat.fr supports women around the world
At Santexpat.fr, women’s health is a cause that speaks to us. Every day, we are committed to implementing innovative solutions to support women in their healthcare journeys abroad. In so doing, we are helping to reduce health disparities.
In collaboration with trusted partners such as 9moisetplus, we offer dedicated support to pregnant women living abroad, helping them to navigate confidently through the challenges of pregnancy in a sometimes new environment. This application gives French-speaking women access to French-speaking midwives and childcare specialists wherever they are in the world.
For those facing cancer, our collaboration with meditsimple ensures quality cancer care, facilitating access to care and enabling them to receive appropriate treatment wherever they are. For example, a French-speaking doctor can provide a second medical opinion via teleconsultation.
Similarly, our partnership with gynger.care offers support to women suffering from endometriosis, a condition that is often misunderstood and under-diagnosed.
Finally, in partnership with jointhesorority, we are committed to providing vital support to women victims of domestic violence around the world, helping them to rebuild their lives and regain their independence.
What’s more, our international health experts are on hand to help women find the health insurance solutions best suited to their needs for expatriation or travel abroad.
