Healthtracka’s CEO, Ifeoluwa Dare-Johnson, has sounded the alarm on the alarming state of women’s health in Nigeria, where they face significant obstacles in accessing basic healthcare and often suffer in silence.
At the Banking on Women’s Health Conference in Lagos, she emphasized that women are disproportionately burdened by specific health concerns, including reproductive and sexual health issues, fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, and menopause, which are frequently under-diagnosed and inadequately addressed.
The lack of progress in developing effective medical solutions to tackle these conditions is particularly distressing, Dare-Johnson noted.
She mentioned, “From the age of 10, young girls have to deal with menstrual-related challenges. When they progress to teenagers, they have to deal with their sexual health, which includes contraception, and in their 20s – early screening for cervical cancer, fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS etc.
“When they are in their 30s, they start thinking about maternal health, childbirth, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer and if not married, they will start thinking about freezing their eggs when they get to their 40s and 50s, they start preparing for menopause and also other chronic diseases.
“These stages can have a great impact on their mental health, as research has shown that women get more anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts than men, simply because they respond to stress differently.”
She further stated, ” With proper research, scientists can find solutions to tackling these conditions, but sadly, women are underrepresented, about two per cent of all clinical trials. We have also more male ObGyn than female ObGyn, so when we say women’s health is underfunded, estimated and underrepresented, it is not something we just imagined, it is real.”
According to Dare-Johnson, citing a joint report by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute, investing in women’s health yields a significant return, with every dollar spent generating three dollars in economic growth.
Moreover, closing the gender health gap could add an average of seven healthy days to every woman’s life each year, potentially injecting at least $1 trillion into the global economy by 2040.
Discussing Healthtracka’s impact on women’s health in Nigeria,
“There is a need to change this narrative, hence the reason we launched the HPV self-sample kits for women, to enable them to carry out cervical cancer screening from home. We have also organized this conference because we believe that a good way to change the narrative is for a platform to be created, where women, doctors, policymakers and investors can come together, to brainstorm on the best solutions to tackling women’s health challenges. We know that for every $1 invested in women’s health, there is a $3 return on investment.”
She also called for greater government support and advocacy, urging for the implementation of policies that prioritize women’s health and well-being, and foster collaborative efforts to drive meaningful change. “Listen to the issues surrounding women’s health, to boost the Nigerian economy.”
Nollywood actress Ini Dima-Okojie, who bravely shared her personal experience with fibroids at the conference, encouraged women to openly discuss their health struggles.
She revealed that after her own fibroids diagnosis in 2017, she initially felt overwhelmed but later found the courage to share her story on Instagram following a successful surgery, inspiring others to do the same.
“I never regretted that I shared my story with the world, as it has impacted the lives of many women with fibroids,” she further stated.
