10 Facts About Women's Health - WHO

Posted on: Friday 7th October 2011

While life expectancy is higher for women than men in most countries, there are a number of health and social factors which combine to create a lower quality of life for women. Unequal access to information, care and basic health practices further increases the health risks for women.

Here are just three of the alarming facts of women's health worldwide.

Smoking - Due to recent aggressive tobacco marketing campaigns aimed at women, tobacco use among younger women in developing countries is rising rapidly. Women generally have less success in quitting the habit, have more relapses than men, and nicotine replacement therapy may be less effective among women.

Violence - Between 15% and 71% of women around the world have suffered physical or sexual violence committed by an intimate male partner at some point in their lives. The abuse cuts across all social and economic backgrounds. Violence has serious health consequences for women, from injuries to unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, depression and chronic diseases.

Pregnancy and Birth - Every day, 1600 women and more than 10 000 newborns die from preventable complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Almost 99% of maternal and 90% of neonatal mortalities occur in the developing world. 

The fact file highlights 10 key areas that have serious consequences for women's health worldwide. Download