Christen Marie Smith’s Post

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐲: 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 #𝐌𝐲𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐌𝐲𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 Today's World Health Day theme, #MyHealthMyRight, underscores the importance of accessible and equitable healthcare for all. However, significant disparities persist, especially for women around the world. Let's explore these gaps and identify ways to make #MyHealthMyRight a reality for women: 1. 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐴𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝐸𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠: Millions of women, particularly in developing countries, lack access to basic healthcare services like   - Maternal care: Quality prenatal and postnatal care is crucial for maternal and newborn health. - Reproductive health services: This includes access to safe and legal abortion, contraception, and family planning options. - Preventative screenings: Early detection and treatment of diseases like cervical and breast cancer can save lives. 2. 𝐴𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐴ff𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝐵𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑟𝑠: Complexities around insurance and affordability can limit access to healthcare across the globe, advocate for policies that ensure affordable healthcare, including reproductive healthcare, for all women. 3. 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑡ℎ: Women are more susceptible to anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. It's crucial to integrate mental health services into comprehensive healthcare for women and to address stigmas surrounding mental health and encourage women to seek help. Ensuring that women have safe spaces to share their concerns in work, family and relationships and prioritize self defense and self reliance through access to mental wellbeing providers. 4. 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐸𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠: Empowering women with knowledge is key to taking charge of their health by promoting health education campaigns focused on women's specific needs and encouraging open conversations about sexual and reproductive health in schools and communities. 5. 𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑊𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛'𝑠 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑡ℎ𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠: Women's perspectives are essential for shaping healthcare policies, create opportunities for women to lead the health sectors, support organizations led by women that advocate for their healthcare needs and encourage women to participate in research and development of healthcare solutions.  #MyHealthMyRight  #WorldHealthDay #WomensHealth #HealthcareEquity #ReproductiveRights #GlobalHealth

March may be Women’s History month, but the recent events in Alabama were not any cause for celebration. They represented an attack on women’s and all reproductive health, as well as a major setback for inclusive and quality-driven patient-centered care. The need for ongoing advocacy is a must. Read my latest blog post, Women’s Health and Health Equity Continue Under Attack, only in Ellen’s Interprofessional Insights #ethicsmatter #healthequity #reproductivehealth #invitrofertilization #choice #patientpractitionerrelationship #quality #patientcentriccare #interprofessionalimpact #transhealth https://lnkd.in/eV9TTNsP

🩺 What's the state of trans healthcare in your country? 🩺 🩺 Trans people often face significant barriers to healthcare, with low access rates and high levels of stigma and discrimination from providers. Addressing the lack of provision and inequalities in access to trans-specific healthcare is an urgent issue that needs attention. 🩺 Our Trans Health Map is the only tool which tracks the availability and accessibility of trans-specific healthcare in the 27 Member States of the European Union. The map covers seven categories:  🩺 Type of trans-specific healthcare and its coverage 🩺 Requirement of psychiatric diagnosis 🩺Waiting times for the first appointment with a trans-specific healthcare professional 🩺Groups made to wait longer or excluded from accessing certain types of trans-specific healthcare 🩺 Access to puberty blockers for trans young people 🩺 Access to hormones for trans young people 🩺 Access to sexual and reproductive health services 🩺 The Map was created using an in-depth analysis of publicly available information and verified by country experts. 🩺 Learn more about trans-specific healthcare across the EU! 🏳️⚧️✨ The new Trans Health Map will be revealed this Wednesday, 30 October! 📅 Join us for a webinar on 6 November to dive deeper into the insights from the Map, explore the latest data, and discuss the state of trans healthcare across Europe. Don't miss out on this important conversation. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dX49PKzK #TransHealthMap #TransHealth #TransHealthcare #TransRights #TransRightsAreHumanRights

Congratulations to Rippel's own Anne Marie Creegan and co-authors for this article describing how the Vital Conditions framework can offer a compelling and effective approach to addressing perinatal mental health. Give it a read and let me know what you think. And let me or my colleagues know if you want to learn more about applying the Vital Conditions framework in your work to advance equity, justice and well-being.

As we dive into Black Maternal Health Week, we are spotlighting the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) in their efforts to seek solutions and work toward practices that incorporate the true needs, wants and desires of Black women and birthing people. #BMHW24

Women's healthcare in the U.S. shows significant disparities, especially in states with restrictive reproductive health policies. A recent state-by-state scorecard reveals mounting concerns over access and quality of care for women nationwide. This Commonwealth Fund report highlights the critical need for equitable healthcare solutions. Join us at Vote For Your Daughter to advocate for better healthcare for all women. Read the full report to understand the current challenges and take action to support healthcare equity. #VoteForYourDaughter 🔗 New Scorecard Offers State-by-State Ranking of Women’s Health and Reproductive Care - Commonwealth Fund #WomensHealth #HealthcareEquity #ReproductiveRights

Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA) is a national network focused on advancing Black maternal health, rights, and justice. Learn more about what they are doing through TruLite Health's newest blog below. #BMHW4 #BlackWomensHealth #BlackMaternalHealth #BlackHealthEquity #BlackMamasMatter #healthequity #healthcareinnovation

🌍 WHA agenda Item 11.7 highlights the need for accelerated action and investment in equitable coverage and quality care to achieve SDG targets for maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) and the Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy (2015-2030). 👉 Key targets include: SDG Target 3.1: End preventable maternal mortality Global Strategy Target: End preventable stillbirths SDG Target 3.2.1: End preventable newborn and child deaths SDG Target 3.2.2: End newborn mortality SDG Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights Let’s work together to transform health systems and ensure quality care for all women, newborns, and children. Read more: https://bit.ly/4cm8sTm #SDGs #MNCH #HealthForAll 🌟

The Australian government will invest approximately $2.4m (A$3.6m) to improve health literacy and outcomes for women facing barriers to accessing health information. The funding will be distributed to three organisations to expand their health promotion efforts and trial new methods to reach women across different groups. The Menzies School of Health Research will receive $944k (A$1.4m) to implement SheLAB, a mobile, pop-up lab designed to provide tailored health information in regional, rural, and remote areas, with a focus on isolated First Nations communities. Meanwhile, the National Ageing Research Institute will be granted $615.2k (A$912k) for the MindCare4Women programme, which will develop a dementia risk reduction initiative for women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Lastly, ACON Health will receive $877k (A$1.3m) for the “Word on the Sheets” project to enhance and optimise an online resource for LGBTIQA+ women’s sexual and reproductive health. https://buff.ly/47yRYFU #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth

"All the main UK-wide parties racked up lacklustre scores" Women's Health shares an analysis from Imperial College London of what the main UK political parties promise for women's health in their manifestos. Most parties' scores are bumped by promises to tackle gender-based violence, improve childcare provision & generally bolster the NHS. The inclusion of women in medical #research and clinical trials doesn’t feature anywhere, and decriminalisation and access to abortion & ensuring policy is built in consultation with #women are in none or only one of the manifestos. There's work to be done to close the #GenderHealthGap! https://lnkd.in/e94PtsbM