While other countries are making progress, women's health in the UK is stagnating.

New data reveals that the health of women in the UK has not improved over three years, with a lack of progress in preventive care and declining satisfaction with pregnancy care causing particular concern.¹

The third annual Hologic Global Women's Health Index, in partnership with leading analytics firm Gallup, is one of the world's largest surveys of women's health and well-being. The index represents the feelings, opinions and experiences of 97% of women and girls over the age of 15 in the world and reveals alarming trends in women's health worldwide.

The index covers five interlocking dimensions of women's health (preventive care, basic needs, health and safety opinions, personal health, and mental health), and is based in each of 143 countries and territories. Assigning a score (1 to 100). The latest data shows that the UK has stagnated at 60 points out of 100, the same result as last year.¹ This means the UK has fallen seven places in the world rankings, currently sitting in 37th place.¹

This decline is due to multiple factors, including more countries being added to the index in 2022 and other countries overtaking the UK. For example, Poland improved her 4 points and entered the top 10 countries with a score of 64.

In particular, the UK continues to lag behind the EU when it comes to preventive medical testing, particularly in the areas of hypertension (44% vs. 47%), cancer (19% vs. 20%) and diabetes (22% vs. 24%). ) and sexually transmitted diseases (5% vs. 10%).¹

The index also shows a decline in women's satisfaction with pregnancy care in the UK, with 74% believing that pregnancy care in the UK is of good quality, compared to 77% the previous year.¹ The findings are consistent with a Care Quality Commission report that noted a deterioration in maternity care over the past five years. This data highlights the urgent need for systematic improvements in the support and care provided to pregnant women across the country.

Additionally, other results from the index raise serious concerns regarding the mental well-being of women in the UK. Mental health is a fundamental component of women's overall health, highlighting the importance of access to counseling and support services. The findings show that markers of emotional health are declining year on year, with at least one in six UK women now saying they experienced negative emotions in the day before the survey. It is reported that.¹ This includes feelings of worry (38%), sadness (32%), stress (39%) and anger (17%), all of which are higher than the average observed across the EU.¹

Remarkably, sadness has continued to increase over the past few years, with almost one in three women (32%) feeling sad in the previous day, compared to 28% the previous year. It shows that sadness is on the rise for the second year in a row.

“The results of this third year of research continue to call for action and improvement. It is important to urgently and proactively address these gaps in health care.”

Tim Simpson, General Manager, Hologic UK & Ireland, said:

Tim added: “The Hologic Global Women's Health Index serves as a comprehensive benchmark for women's health and helps fill critical gaps in what the world knows about the well-being of 50% of the world's population. It's helpful,'' he added.

Dr Rani Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, highlighted the importance of data on women's health.

“As an organization dedicated to improving women's health care around the world, RCOG welcomes Hologic's new Women's Health Index as an important data source for measuring and monitoring key women's health indicators,” she said. said. “This study highlights the critical need for governments, non-governmental organizations and policy makers to prioritize women’s health and invest in interventions that put women’s best interests first. Through strategic investments, decision-makers can ensure all women and girls have access to quality health care and promote a healthier and more equitable future for all.”

Hologic remains committed to collaborating with health professionals, policy makers, and communities to drive meaningful change and improve health outcomes for women everywhere.

For more information about the Hologic Global Women's Health Index and the global report, visit womenshealthindex.com.