I recently posted about the general lack of awareness and solutions for many of the pertinent health challenges faced by women and was overwhelmed with the response.
Roughly 61% of respondents believed Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS, is one the most critical challenges faced by women today. For those who may not know, roughly 1 in 5 women in India suffers from PCOS. On the other hand, close to 15% of respondents said they were unaware of women’s health challenges.
Here are a few learnings from the poll-
It was heart-warming to see the work startups are doing in this space. Women’s healthcare needs innovative solutions to address many of the underserved problems. Today, roughly two-thirds of health workers in India are men. In rural India, only 6% of health workers are female. We need more women in the healthcare system that are working towards women’s health issues and are cognizant of the challenges faced by women.
A lot of individuals also highlighted the urban and rural divide in women’s health issues. There is a vast divide due to cultural differences, associated expenses, and societal norms.
The first step to solving women’s healthcare problems is awareness — across all societies, genders, income levels, and ages.
Women’s health requires a systemic change from several perspectives including scientific research, government sponsorship, and entrepreneurship. I’m optimistic about the future, given the kind of advocacy, education, and conversations around the space. Globally, $1.1B was invested in women’s health-focused startups in 2020 and I look forward to seeing Indian startups drive much-needed change in the segment.
Disclaimer: Views represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the author and do not represent the views of Kalaari.
