Gender Gaps in Healthy Longevity

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry Core Insights - Gender gaps in access to and use of health and long-term care services affect both women and men differently [3] - Male mortality due to key non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is high in middle age, while women live longer with these diseases, impacting universal health coverage (UHC) and social protection systems [3] - Social and financial barriers accumulate across the life course, impeding women's access to care, necessitating cross-cutting solutions [3] - Health and long-term care systems must be gender-responsive, ensuring availability, accessibility, and quality of care [3] - Investment in sex-disaggregated data and gender-specific indicators is essential for monitoring key indicators for healthy longevity [3] Summary by Sections Introduction - Women and men experience aging differently due to physical, physiological, social, and gender norms, affecting socio-economic status and health outcomes [4] - Evidence indicates higher male mortality from heart disease and diabetes, while women live longer with these diseases, leading to more years lived with disability [4] Study Methods - The study utilizes literature review and data analysis from the Global Burden of Disease and World Development Indicators, focusing on NCDs and income data from 2019 [8] Disease Burden by Sex - Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of mortality, with 41.6% of female deaths and 38.2% of male deaths aged 45 and above attributed to CVD in 2019 [9] - Diabetes accounted for approximately 1.55 million deaths in 2019, with 95% among those aged 45 and above, showing a higher burden among women in lower-middle-income countries [15] - Cancer mortality is higher among men globally, but women aged 45-60 have higher cancer prevalence, particularly breast and reproductive cancers [19] Key Barriers to Care - Factors such as income, mobility, and service availability significantly affect access to health services for aging populations, especially women [21] - Financial dependence and limited participation in formal labor markets hinder older women's access to healthcare [21] Policy and Programmatic Implications - Health systems play a crucial role in reducing gender gaps in age-related disability and disease, requiring universal health coverage and improved service delivery [22] - Continued efforts to enhance women's labor market opportunities and access to social protection systems are necessary to strengthen their agency and healthcare access [22] - Expanding the use of sex-disaggregated data and gender-specific indicators on NCDs is vital for understanding gender-based health gaps [22]