If we say that women’s health programs need to be more aggressive and assertive in approach compared to the other public health campaigns of India, for which we pledge our support and consistency, believe us we aren’t asking for too much. When it comes to women’s health, despite the fancy campaigns and pharmaceutical brands backed awareness programs, we know we aren’t doing enough. Yes, we have educated women enough on calcium deficiency, anaemia, STDs and the importance of maternal health. But somewhere a holistic approach to making her fitter and stronger from inside out is missing. We know despite our good intentions when it comes to addressing the challenges regarding women’s health something is amiss. Most of our approaches are target specific and not inclusive. Here are the common health concerns of every Indian woman.
As explained by Dr Ajay Gambhir, President, National Neonatology Forum of India who had a brief chat with us regarding women’s health on the eve of International Day of Action for Women’s Health says, ‘Rather than an unidirectional approach we need a lifecycle approach to ensure better care and good health for every woman. This means care should be provided right from infancy continuing in adolescence during maternity, postpartum and beyond.’ Here are 11 healthcare tips for women from health experts.
Here we discuss the issues related to women’s health and what is the need of the hour.
Infancy and adolescence
Issues to address: Nutrition and hygiene
When it comes to caring for a girl child care should start from infancy and adolescence. ‘Since a newborn’s immune system is weak the chances of falling prey to infections is higher. This is one reason why infantile death is a matter of concern in a country like ours with a vast population and where more incidences like these happen in rural pockets. So immunizing the child (irrespective of the gender) is the first step in safeguarding an innocent life. Going by the data 26 million babies are born in India every year and care should be taken to immunise them to save them from infectious diseases. Maternal immunization is also an important aspect that needs to be stressed upon for better immunity and improve survival rates of newborns,’ says Dr Gambhir.
When a girl child enters adolescence she is subjected to a lot of physiological and psychological changes. But most of the time her health is taken for granted in both urban and rural settings. ‘When a girl comes of age and she is 18 years old, by the standards of the society she is an adult but deep within she remains still a child – psychologically and physiologically. We are not saying this in an affectionate tone but rather out of concern as lack of proper nutrition and hygiene makes it difficult for women to adjust to the changes of her adult life. Most adolescent and young women suffer from anaemia, brittle bones, fatigue, are susceptible to infectious diseases due to low immunity – the underlying cause of which is malnutrition. This makes it difficult for young women to take on the regular challenges of life or even plan a healthy pregnancy.
‘Even with adequate knowledge on nutrition and food we see a lot of young women in the obese and overweight category which makes them prone to heart diseases, diabetes and other lifestyle diseases which only increases the burden of public health problems pertaining to women. A proper guidance regarding nutrition, food and wellness is necessary,’ he says. Educating young women on hygiene and sanitation also goes a long way in avoiding infections and diseases which they are more prone to than men. A UTI infection or genital TB can be life-changing for a young girl in so many ways. Read to know if recurrent UTIs can make you infertile.
Maternal health and pregnancy
Issues to address: Nutrition, Immunization, proper maternal education
A healthy mother births a healthy child. So maternal health is indeed something that needs special attention to ensure the generation next is in the pink of health. Worldwide, almost 700,000 children less than one month of age die each year due to infectious diseases such as pneumonia or sepsis. Immunization during pregnancy has emerged as an important and successful public health intervention in both industrialized and developing countries. Immunization during pregnancy has the potential to protect the mother and the infant against vaccine-preventable diseases. Newborn infants are at high-risk for significant illness and death from certain infectious diseases because their immune system has not fully developed. One aim of vaccinating pregnant women is to increase the amount of maternal antibody (proteins that fight disease) transferred to infants, potentially protecting them from infectious disease. This is why vaccinations during pregnancy are so important. Vaccination during pregnancy is a cost-effective strategy to improve pregnancy outcomes in India.
‘Around 30 million women become pregnant every year in India and every mother and her child are important to us. It is important that mothers get immunized well in time so as to avoid any encounter with infections which may affect the baby inside the womb, thereby affecting the overall neonatal health of the nation. Infections during pregnancy can cost both maternal and fetal lives. This is why routine check-up, especially if the woman is in a high-risk category is necessary. Monitoring the pregnancy right from the start helps to ensure the safety of both the mother and child and reduce an imminent risk of maternal bleeding or early miscarriages due to infections,’ says Dr Gambhir. Among the vaccinations that are an absolute necessity for pregnant women are tetanus, Hepatitis B, HIV. Without protection, a mother is vulnerable to these infections and so is her child. Read to know why you need a tetanus vaccination during pregnancy.
We cannot stress the importance of nutrition during pregnancy any less. The right nutrition along with proper maternal education can help the mother stay safe and birth a healthy bony baby.
Postpartum and beyond
Issues to address: Postpartum depression and nutrition
Of course, there is some focus and awareness about maternal health these days though it is just the tip of the iceberg; one thing we seldom speak of when we speak of women’s health is postpartum health. A mother’s well-being after childbirth is very crucial as there are a lot of factors that depend on it – mother-baby bonding, infantile health, maternal health and much more. But after a baby’s arrival as the entire universe becomes busy showering love and affection on the baby many forget that the mother too needs some care, warmth and help. It is a widely accepted fact that motherhood equips the mother to endure everything that it brings with it. But the harsh reality is that the days following childbirth are the most challenging ones. Instead of being all happy and gay she goes on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Depression after childbirth is quite common in new mothers. It is time that we understand that postpartum care cannot be isolated. Read to know if postpartum depression is not treated it can lead to psychosis.
Studies show that women’s brain undergo changes during pregnancy which is irreversible and these changes coupled with hormonal changes and demands of a newborn takes an inevitable toll on the mother. It is time we educate caregivers about postpartum depression and help the mother understand that it is a phase that needs attention so the issues can be addressed before it takes a toll on her mental health.
Cervical cancer
Issues to address: Vaccination, awareness
Cervical cancer is caused due to HPV or human papillomavirus. The best way to prevent this cancer is to get vaccinated. The HPV vaccine is known to be the best way to prevent cervical cancer. According to the data released in 2017 by the HPV centre every year 122844 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 67477 dies from the disease. Cervical cancer ranks as the 2nd most frequent cancer among women in India and the 2nd most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age. For women who are sexually active, getting the HPV vaccination can go a long way in protecting them from this infection and the consequence of the same. It is imperative to educate women about cervical cancer and spread the awareness of vaccination to help prevent it.
These above-mentioned causes make it clear that talking about women’s health we cannot single out one phase of her life and provide care and attention. The approach needs to be inclusive of every aspect of her life being given equal care and attention.
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