Finalists of the Covid-Care@Home Innovation Challenge

Advancing gender-responsive NCD policies: bridging the care gap for women and girls

On International Day of the Girl, Claudia Selin Batz (Policy and Advocacy Advisor, The George Institute) and Kayla Arnold (Policy Advisor, Age International) reflect on the outcomes of the UN High Level Meeting (UN HLM) on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), arguing that gender-responsive approaches to prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are not only vital for women's well-being but also alleviate the care burden and contribute to the broader goal of achieving truly universal equity-based UHC.

 

The recent UN HLM on "Universal Health Coverage: Expanding Our Vision for Health and Well-being in a Post-COVID World," which took place in September, represents a significant milestone in acknowledging the importance of addressing NCDs to achieve UHC. The resulting political declaration recognised the importance of ensuring healthcare coverage for individuals across their entire lifespan and throughout the continuum of care. This recognition is particularly important for women and girls who are Paying the Price for the lack of adequate NCD healthcare and services, and are experiencing challenges in getting timely diagnosis, treatment, and care.

Women are disproportionately affected by NCDs due to exposure to persistent social, gender and economic inequalities. Furthermore, the inadequate allocation of financial resources to tackle NCDs, increases caregiving responsibilities, which disproportionately falls on women of various age lacking sufficient training or financial means to access care.

Women who develop NCDs during pregnancy are particularly vulnerable and require immediate care and attention. Antenatal care presents a crucial opportunity to identify and address health issues like anaemia, diabetes, and high blood pressure that may otherwise go unnoticed. Additionally, women generally have longer lifespans compared to men. The demographic trend of population ageing translates to more women living longer, often in poor health due to NCDs and disabilities over extended periods of time. Therefore, it is necessary to take a life course approach to the healthcare needs of women of all ages that goes beyond their reproductive years.

However, the realities of many women’s experiences of access to health, including for NCDs, are invisible due to lack of data. Health systems often fail to collect sex, age, and disability-disaggregated data, and as a result do not capture the barriers that women often experience in achieving better health outcomes. For example, the current UHC indicators on NCDs perpetuate gaps in the data on older women by using age-capped data sources, that exclude women over 50 and men over 55, despite NCDs contributing to 89% of years lived with disability in women 55 and over.

 

Steps towards gender responsive UHC

Fortunately, the UHC Political Declaration highlighted the need to incorporate a gender perspective when designing, implementing, and monitoring health policies. It stresses the critical role of primary healthcare, community-based services, and the need to enhance community health worker training and recruitment. Additionally, it underscores the significance of women's participation in the healthcare workforce and their empowerment, including their involvement in decision-making positions.

'Communities are not mere recipients of UHC but the co-architects, with their inclusion, particularly those most affected by health inequities, leading to impactful, meaningful and sustainable UHC'. – Nupur Lalvani, Founder, Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation, NCD Alliance Advisory Group

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), female frontline health workers play a pivotal role in delivering community-level healthcare. For example, India's Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) are vital in this regard. Recognising the potential of antenatal care, The George Institute for Global Health and Oxford University have collaborated to develop SMARTHealth Pregnancy, a cost-effective smartphone-based system that helps female community health workers identify pregnant and postpartum women with high-risk conditions like hypertension and diabetes. This system facilitates referrals to primary healthcare facilities, enables two-way communication between healthcare providers and the community, and ensures timely follow-up and adherence to medical advice.

 

An opportunity for all

While political declarations can pave the way for international collaboration and funding, they are insufficient as a tool for change, without comprehensive strategies and integrated service delivery tailored to the needs of women and girls of all ages. Governments must invest in NCD responses that consider gender-specific challenges to effectively equip healthcare systems. Such policies should provide women at all life stages with education, tools, and access to services needed for managing NCD to create a more equitable and inclusive environment.

Looking ahead, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Global NCD Alliance Forum in Kigali, and the Financing Dialogue on NCDs in 2024 and the High Level Meeting on NCDs in 2025 offer opportunities to highlight gender-responsive solutions in building resilient and equitable health systems capable of addressing NCDs effectively. By endorsing the global call-to-action launched at Women Deliver 2023 and committing to its priority actions, individuals can contribute to promoting gender equality in NCD responses. Share your efforts through the 'Women and NCDs' Community of Practice on the WHO Knowledge Action Portal.

Women in Global Health (WGH), in collaboration with UHC 2030, are actively seeking input on how to make health systems more gender-responsive, expediting progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage. By sharing insights, you can hold leaders accountable for accountable for integrating gender considerations into the health workforce and the design, delivery, financing, and governance of health systems.

Global unity is paramount in ensuring gender equity and rights in the prevention and control of NCDs.

 

This piece was first published on the Act on NCDs website hosted by the NCD Alliance and is reproduced here with their kind permission.

Event

Centre for Research Excellence - Healthy Food, Healthy Planet, Healthy People – improving the environmental sustainability of food

Improving environmental sustainability

People need and want information to help them choose more sustainable food options. The food system is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, yet there is little reliable information to make sustainable choices about food. Decision tools are needed to help individuals make choices that promote planetary health.

The George Institute’s Healthy Food, Healthy Planet, Healthy People Centre for Research Excellence was formed with this in mind. This initiative comprises a range of projects designed to improve understanding of the environmental impact of the food system. Incorporating sustainable aspects into the way Australians engage with the food system is integral to a healthier future for people and planet.

Join us for the launch of an app that helps consumers choose packaged foods that have a lower environmental impact by simply scanning a barcode. It uses an evolving data asset that assigns planetary health ratings to foods based on the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the product’s ingredients. Users can see how their selected packaged food items rate and choose from more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Importantly, the data developed for the app will be central to recommendations for food system changes that can produce positive environmental effects on a larger scale. We will be advocating for a nationwide policy framework that makes this possible.

We look forward to seeing you at this pivotal event.

Speakers

  • Special Guest: Craig Reucassel
  • Chair: Professor Bruce Neal
  • Fraser Taylor
  • Professor Kathryn Bowen 
  • Professor Simone Pettigrew
  • Rebecca Gilling

Register here to attend in person

Register here to attend virtually

Speakers

  • Special Guest: Craig Reucassel

    Craig Reucassel is an Australian writer, director and comedian who is best known for his work with The Chaser and for going through your bins on The War on Waste.
     He and some friends started the satirical newspaper The Chaser which went on to TV shows like CNNNN, The Checkout and The Chaser's War on Everything.  Craig has hosted three series of the award-winning War on Waste documentary. He has also hosted climate change documentaries Fight for Planet A and Big Weather. In 2020 he Directed the movie Big Deal, which looked into the issue of money in politics in Australia. Craig was born in South Africa but moved to Australia at a young age. He attended the University of Sydney, and graduated with honours in Bachelor of Economics (Social Science) and Bachelor of Laws.

    Craig Reucassel

  • Bruce Neal

    Bruce Neal is Executive Director at The George Institute for Global Health Australia and Professor of Medicine, UNSW Sydney. Prof Neal is a physician with 25 years’ experience in clinical, epidemiological, and public health research with a focus on heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Bruce has a longstanding interest in high blood pressure and diabetes and the potential for both clinical interventions and changes in the food supply to deliver health gains. 

    Bruce Neal

  • Simone Pettigrew

    Simone Pettigrew is the Head of Food Policy at The George Institute for Global Health. She has qualifications in Economics, Marketing, and Consumer Psychology. Her broad areas of expertise include behavioural psychology, health promotion, health policy, communications, social marketing, and intervention research. She has a strong interest in the effective provision of nutrition and sustainability information to consumers, and has conducted research on this topic with more than 30,000 consumers in more than 20 countries.

    Simone Pettigrew

  • Kathryn Bowen 

    Kathryn Bowen is a leading, internationally recognised expert on the science and policy of sustainability (particularly climate change) and global health issues, with 20 years’ experience in original public health research, science assessment, capacity development, and policy advice. Kathryn thrives on interdisciplinary, energetic, and stimulating work environments where the emphasis is on implementing policy-relevant and evidence-based sustainability programs. Kathryn holds a joint position at Melbourne Climate Futures and as Professor - Environment, Climate and Global Health in the School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.

    Kathryn Bowen

  • Fraser Taylor

    Fraser Taylor is a specialist in data-driven health interventions, and Managing Director of the globally successful FoodSwitch program at The George Institute for Global Health. Fraser has 20-plus years working within global food firms across Europe, North America, and Australasia and latterly technology startups. The award-winning FoodSwitch app, now available in more than a dozen countries worldwide, empowers consumers to make better food choices.

    Fraser Taylor

  • Rebecca Gilling

    Rebecca trained as an actor at the Independent Theatre School in Sydney and worked mainly in film and television for nearly thirty years. Career highlights include the feature film Stone (1974), the TV miniseries Return to Eden (1983), and TV lifestyle show Our House (1992-2001).

    Rebecca retrained as a social scientist and joined Planet Ark in 2002 as their public spokesperson and Special Projects Manager. She further qualified in Video Editing and Human Resource Management, and later gained a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development with a particular focus on organisational change for sustainability and individual and group motivation. In 2021 Rebecca was appointed as Co-CEO, joining the Planet Ark Board as Executive Director, and became CEO in February 2023.

    Planet Ark’s strategy under Rebecca’s leadership is focused on three spheres of activity: carbon neutrality, circular economy and connecting people with nature.

    In her spare time, Rebecca is a keen gardener, bird watcher and enthusiastic amateur wildlife photographer.

    Rebecca Gilling

Further reading

Submission to the National Robotic Strategy

We are pleased to advise that The George Institute for Global Health submitted a proposal to the National Robotic Strategy in April 2023. Our submission focuses on harnessing the potential of robotics to address global health challenges.

The proposal outlines various areas where robotics could make a significant impact, including healthcare delivery and research. It emphasises the importance of collaboration between academia, industry, and governments to adopt innovation and ensure equitable access to robotic technologies.

We have highlighted the need for regulatory frameworks that balance safety and innovation, and also emphasized the importance of ethical considerations in the development and deployment of robotic system. We believe there is a convincing case for leveraging robotics to improve global health outcomes.

Leads

Related people

- 06/10/2023

Subscribe to