Ireland’s standing in an annual global survey assessing women’s health and well-being has dipped, dropping from 20th place in 2020 to 24th place in 2022 among 143 nations. The Hologic Global Women’s Health Index, which evaluates various facets of women’s health across countries, saw Taiwan claim the top spot, while Afghanistan ranked at the bottom.
The report, based on responses from 79,000 women, evaluated countries on criteria including preventive care, emotional health, basic needs, individual health, and perceptions of health and safety over the period from 2020 to 2022.
In the realm of preventive care, Ireland ranked 63rd globally. Notably, only 44% of Irish women surveyed reported being screened for high blood pressure, with 17% undergoing cancer screenings, 17% receiving diabetes screenings, and a mere 7% being tested for STDs and STIs in 2022. In contrast, Puerto Rico led in preventive care, with significantly higher rates of screenings across these health indicators.
Stephen P MacMillan, CEO of Hologic, underscored the index’s significance in gauging the health status of women worldwide, emphasizing its role as a crucial benchmark for monitoring changes in healthcare access and attitudes among women.
The report highlighted the stagnation in women’s global health, particularly in preventive care and basic needs, with over one billion women failing to seek medical attention last year.
Emphasizing the importance of preventive care, MacMillan stressed that timely testing is pivotal in averting illnesses and detecting health issues early, potentially leading to healthier and longer lives for women.
In terms of emotional health, Irish women ranked 37th out of 143 countries. Although feelings of worry, stress, and anger had decreased among Irish women since 2020, feelings of sadness had slightly risen. Survey results revealed that a significant proportion of Irish women experienced worry, stress, sadness, and anger in the past day.
On basic needs, Ireland secured the 18th spot, with a relatively low percentage reporting insufficient funds for food or shelter. However, the metric of individual health garnered Ireland a higher score, with a notable proportion of women reporting health problems and physical pain in the previous day.
The index, compiled through interviews conducted by Gallup and Hologic, reflects the collective voices of women across the globe, shedding light on disparities in healthcare access and emotional well-being. Despite Ireland’s slip in the rankings, Irish women displayed higher emotional well-being compared to the global average, albeit ranking lower than countries like Japan and South Korea, yet surpassing the UK and the US.
