Ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index provides insight into the current state of women’s health and safety, particularly when it comes to preventative testing for diseases such as cancer. Globally, in 2020, only 12% of women – around 300 million women – said they had been tested for any type of cancer in the past 12 months. Breast cancer alone ranks eighth among the leading causes of death for women worldwide, and in 2020 breast cancer in women was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world.
The coronavirus pandemic resulted in significant disruption to cancer screening for women around the world. For example, in April 2020, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saw a sharp decline in breast (87%) and cervical cancer (84%) screenings compared to the previous five-year averages . The Hologic Global Women’s Health Index found that 21% of US women report having been screened for cancer in the past 12 months.
“The 40% of women worldwide who said they had not spoken to a doctor or nurse about their health in 2020 is a worrying prospect. That means hundreds of millions of women may not have had the opportunity to voice their concerns and ask questions “about their bodies, let alone being screened for serious and preventable diseases,” said Priscilla Standridge, senior research consultant at Gallup. “It means also that some women have had less valuable opportunities to reveal gender-based violence to healthcare professionals and gain access to resources. “
The percentage of women tested for cancer was in the single digits in nearly 40 countries and territories, including less than 1% of women who said they had been tested in Pakistan, where breast cancer rates are believed to be the highest in Asia. However, the real numbers are unknown in Pakistan, as is the case in many low- and middle-income countries.
Women in South Korea are the most likely worldwide to report having been tested for cancer during this period, with 38% of respondents. Globally, no country or territory has tested more than this percentage of women for any type of cancer – and in a large number of countries the percentage is less than 10%. But even with the least stringent guidelines, it is expected that by 2020 50% of women would have been screened for any type of cancer.
The Hologic Global Women’s Health Index provides the world with an in-depth study of critical markers of women’s health and safety, broken down by country and territory and over time. This index provides actionable, science-based data on improving the life expectancy and quality of life of women and girls around the world. The Opening Index serves as a foundation for women’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about their health to identify the keys that will help women live longer, safer, healthier lives.
“Early detection, screening, and diagnosis have been shown to dramatically improve patient survival and quality of life, and significantly reduce the cost and complexity of cancer treatment,” said Susan Harvey, MD, vice president of global medical affairs at Hologic. “However, the barriers to higher cancer screening rates need to be addressed at the individual, health system and government levels to reduce the personal and financial burden of cancer worldwide.”
“Without the ability to measure key factors such as access to health care and the ability to meet basic needs, leaders cannot make the investments and advances needed to improve women’s health, life expectancy and quality of life based on priorities within countries, as highlighted in the data and in the report, will begin to improve the health and lives of women and girls. “
Africa
African countries have some of the lowest scores on prevention, especially cancer screening. Ivory Coast scored the lowest on the prevention dimension of the index, with less than 10% testing for most health conditions, including cancer. However, South Africa and Zambia both rank in the top four countries for prevention, with 25% of South African and 29% of Zambian women reporting having been tested for cancer in the past year.
Asia Pacific
In East Asia, about one in six women (17%) said they had been tested for cancer in the past year, while 11% in Southeast Asia said the same thing. These numbers are even lower in Central and South Asia, where 7% and 3% of women report having been tested for cancer in the past year. However, countries like South Korea (38%) and Japan (21%) see test rates above the regional median for East Asia.
Australia and New Zealand
Australia and New Zealand have some of the highest rates of preventive health tests in the world, and an average of 26% of women in the region report having been tested for cancer in the past 12 months. In Australia, reported cancer checkups are below the 50% that would be expected if all Australian women followed the guidelines for 45-74 year olds to only get half-yearly breast cancer screenings – aside from other regular cancer checkups as well carried out would be included in these answers. Just over one in three Australian women (35%) in this age group said they had been screened for some type of cancer in the past year.
Europe
In Europe, an average of 18% of women report having been screened for cancer in the past year. 35 percent of Latvian or Portuguese women said they had been screened for cancer in the past year – one of the highest numbers in Europe. Meanwhile, German (33%), British (10%) and Spanish (9%) women report low levels of screening despite robust and national health systems.
Latin America and the Caribbean
In 2020, 10% of women in Latin America report having been tested for cancer in the past year. In Brazil, only 7% of women report having been tested for cancer in the past year, the lowest in the region. By comparison, 21% of Nicaraguan women say they have been screened for cancer.
North America
In North America, 20% of women say they’ve been screened for cancer, which is well below recommended guidelines for testing. Overall, 21% of US women report having been tested for cancer in the past 12 months. That number climbs slightly to 25% in 40 to 74 year olds, the area where federal guidelines recommend that women be tested for breast cancer at least every two years – but it remains well below the 50% that would be expected if everyone follows the recommendation.
Thirteen percent of Canadian women say they have been screened for cancer. In Canada, breast cancer screenings are recommended every two to three years for women ages 50 to 74. However, the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index notes that only one in four Canadian women ages 50 to 74 were tested for any type of cancer in Canada last year.
About Gallup
Gallup provides analysis and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.
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source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/10/02/new-hologic-global-womens-health-index-finds-globally-most-women-were-not-checked-for-any-cancer-in-past-year/
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