Highlights and news | ||
 | Heart disease leading cause of death in women | |
| In high-income countries,18% of women die from heart disease, often considered a ‘male’ disease. A new WHO report reviews the health of women across the life-course to encourage policy dialogue and make health systems work for women. | ||
| How can gender equity be addressed through health systems? | |
| Men and women have different health risks, behave differently, and use services differently. A new policy brief produced by the Health Evidence Network and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies looks at how health policy can address and promote gender equity. September 2009. | ||
| Gender equity and HIV: chapter in the report on Progress on implementing the Dublin Declaration on Partnership to Fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia [pdf, 2MB] | |
| The report highlights the successes and shortcomings of the implementation of the Dublin Declaration. There are 15 thematic sections complemented by nine country reports. Chapter six deals with gender equity and assesses the progress that the countries of the European Region have made on honouring the commitments they made to gender equity in the Dublin Declaration . This chapter is also available in Russian. | ||
| Also available in: ru[pdf, 382KB] | ||
| Unequal, Unfair, Ineffective and Inefficient. Gender Inequity in Health: Why it exists and how we can change it [WHO headquarters] | |
| Final Report to the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health by the Women and Gender Equity Knowledge Network, September 2007 | ||
Throughout life, women and men are assumed to play different roles in society, and often they do.
This affects risk-taking behaviour, exposure to risks and health-seeking behaviour; it also determines the degree to which women and men have access to and control over the resources and decision-making needed to protect their health.
The results can be inequitable patterns of health risk, access to health services, use of health services and health outcomes.
The ultimate goal of WHO/Europe's gender and health programme is to achieve greater gender equity and equality in health in the Region.
It seeks to develop the capacity of Member States and WHO technical programmes to identify how gender differences and inequalities affect the health of women and men in the WHO European Region and to develop responsive actions.
Framed in the context of health systems, gender has to be addressed by:
