India's new initiative for women's health and empowerment

Women have played a very important and revolutionary role in international history. Right from the Movement for Women’s Rights in 1857, as garment workers in New York City, to the strike in 1917 in St. Petersburg for “Bread and Peace”, demanding the end of WWI, and demonstrations as Women textile workers marking the February Revolution in Russia, women have played a courageous role.

Having said this, it's important to emphasize women’s health and promote preventive health in the Indian scenario, which will not only enhance women’s bargaining power and empowerment in society, but also give women a chance to play a more important role in the healthy national building.

Keeping this in focus, a major Indian government initiative of the launch of the 'Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar' (Healthy Woman, Empowered Family) Abhiyaan on September 17, 2025, is aimed at improving women's health through comprehensive, life-cycle-based screening and nutritional support. Also, not forgetting, women are responsible for 70-80% of all the healthcare provided in India.

Common health issues among women in India are numerous and include nutritional deficiencies and high rates of anaemia, malnutrition, and, alongside prevalent reproductive and gynaecological problems like PCOS and menstrual irregularities, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and pelvic inflammatory diseases, as well as urinary tract infections. Non-communicable diseases include obesity, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and cardiovascular diseases. Important also are bone health, mental health, and social issues. Breast and cervical cancers are the most common cancers among women.

Comprehensive yearly routine blood checks can help in the timely diagnosis of anaemias, nutritional deficiencies, bone health, diabetes, thyroid diseases, and some malignancies. Periodic Ultrasonography and X-rays of the abdomen and chest need to be part of the health check.

Fortunately, two topmost cancers can be prevented by simple awareness and periodic health checks, for which guidelines have been laid. Breast cancer can be prevented by self-examination of the breast and breast mammography on a yearly basis. Cervical cancer can be prevented by periodic PAP smear examination & HPV DNA studies. Also, as prevention, there is an HPV vaccination schedule that needs to start at the adolescent/pre-adolescent age.

There are many challenges faced by women in the Indian scenario as far as girls' and women's health is concerned. Gender bias, early marriage and childbirth, unawareness of the use of contraceptives, and improper hygiene are the basic issues. Apart from these, burden of family responsibility, lack of education and financial independence, limited exposure to the external world, overall status of women in the society, and, most importantly, awareness of the disease, and health policies all contribute as major obstacles to good health. Governments & NGOs are also working towards minimising these obstacles, but still a long way to go.

Awareness of these health issues, as well as education on preventive health programs, and availability of diagnostic modalities, can not only prevent the disease but also aid in timely treatment.

(This is an authored article by Dr. Geeta Chopra, Chief of Lab – North India Operations, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd)