Millions of women around the world are living with untreated or poorly managed gynaecological conditions. Across low- and middle-income countries, 5% of all years lost to disability are due to gynaecological conditions, with 84% of the overall global burden of morbidity from these conditions found in low- and middle-income countries.
Gynaecological conditions affect women and girls from adolescence through to later life, exacerbating existing gender inequalities and restricting their full participation in society. These conditions are underestimated and under-prioritised across research, policy, health programming and healthcare provision.
Two million women across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa live with untreated obstetric fistula, this has debilitating consequences and yet only one in 50 women receive a fistula repair due to a shortage of skilled fistula surgeons in low- and middle-income countries. Investment in the health workforce delivering gynaecological care is vital to improving gynaecological health as the current number of skilled healthcare professionals is vastly insufficient to meet demand.
In a new policy position statement the RCOG are calling on governments, non-governmental organisations, and donors to champion gynaecological health as a political priority on the global health and to prioritise sufficient and long-term investment in effective interventions to address the unmet need for quality gynaecological healthcare.
The evidence base around the scale of gynaecological conditions is limited and as a result, it is likely that the global burden of gynaecological conditions is significantly underestimated. The RCOG position calls for investment in research and improved data collection for gynaecological conditions as well as establishing international definitions, targets and indicators to reduce variation in data quality and hold governments and donors to account on progress.
As the 2030 deadline for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals approaches, governments, non-governmental organisations and donors have a crucial role to play in promoting gynaecological health as a critical issue of equity and rights.
At the College, we continue to work to address these challenges by equipping healthcare providers with essential skills, advocating for systemic change, and raising awareness of the critical importance of gynaecological health. Our mission is to ensure that all women and girls have access to respectful, high-quality gynaecological care, no matter where they live.
Dr Ranee Thakar, President of the RCOG said,
“The lack of political priority given to women’s gynaecological health around the world is resulting in a large burden of unrecognised morbidity, preventable suffering and poor quality of life for women and girls. By establishing international partnerships, the RCOG is leading the global call to action for policymakers, governments and NGOs to prioritise access for women and girls to high quality gynaecological services.
“In the face of the UK government cutting Official Development Assistance (ODA) by a further 0.2 %, it is more important than ever that we call for greater prioritisation and investment by governments and donors to prevent, diagnose and treat gynaecological health conditions.”
“The economic case for development aid funding is clear as the recent McKinsey report showed that investments addressing the women’s health gap could potentially boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040.”