Holigic’s First Global Women’s Health Index Signals Improved Preventive Care

[Photo courtesy of Hologic]

An estimated 1.5 billion women have not been tested for serious illnesses in the past year, according to Hologic’s leading global women’s health index.

On behalf of diagnostics maker Hologic, the Gallup World Poll surveyed more than 60,000 women and girls (ages 15 and older) around the world to measure actions and attitudes regarding women’s health, focusing on preventive care, opinions on health and safety, emotional health, individual health and basic needs.

These five factors explain more than 80% of women’s average life expectancy at birth and are used in the Global Women’s Health Index to rank countries and territories, Hologic said in a press release. For example, heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, but it is estimated that only about one in three women have had their blood pressure tested in the past 12 months.

“Preventive measures are a crucial first step in the fight against diseases and infections affecting life expectancy and fertility in women,” said Susan Harvey, vice president of global medical affairs at Hologic, in the statement. . “Failure to ensure that women are routinely tested for cancers, sexually transmitted diseases and infections, and cardiometabolic diseases can lead to more significant complications that would otherwise be preventable if they were watched or treated early.”

The global average of the Global Women’s Health Index was 54 out of 100, with preventive care (19 out of 100) falling far behind the other four factors, ranked from 68 to 75.

Among the 114 countries and territories ranked in the index, Taiwan scored the best with a score of 69, while Peru ranked last with a score of 36. The United States ranked 26th with a score index of 61.

The full ranking and report can be read on the Hologic website.

Hologic (Nasdaq: HOLX), based in Marlborough, Massachusetts, manufactures and sells medical devices for diagnosis, surgery, and imaging. Primarily focused on women’s health, the company expanded its diagnostic activities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and launched its Equality in Health project earlier this year.