Published: 8 March 2022

By Joy Phumaphi, ALMA Executive Secretary

Every year on this day, the world comes together to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women across all spheres of life. At the same time, we take stock of progress towards gender equality and take the opportunity to call for action to accelerate women’s inclusion in the political, social, and economic development agenda   that will aid Africa’s implementation of Agenda 2063. This year, as a global community we commemorate International Women’s Day under the theme – #BreakTheBias – in recognition of the reality of the structural inequalities facing women.

Every day, women across the world are confronted by discrimination and inequality. They face unequal treatment at home, at work, and in their communities – and are denied opportunities to lead, grow their intellectual capacities, and maximise their economic potential. The imbalance doesn’t end there: in healthcare, exposure to diseases differs between women and men and women and men experience disease outcomes and impacts differently and their experience of health systems may also differ, with women often facing barriers. Addressing this persistence of inequalities that curtails the ability of women to thrive socially and economically requires stronger resolve from men and women alike as well as all stakeholders to truly move the world towards a gender-equal world, one that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

Studies show that while men and women equally feel the impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), women face higher risks of infection and suffer the consequences disproportionately because of their already vulnerable position in society. Gender norms fuel these differences. Women and young girls face a higher risk of developing certain NTDs such as schistosomiasis owing to their customary roles in water collection and household hygiene, where they are exposed to contaminated water. Similarly, girls and women are more likely to drop out of school or leave their economic engagements to look after loved ones suffering from NTDs.

Malaria’s impact on women cannot be overemphasized. Expectant women in particular face the highest risk of infection due to reduced immunity. The deadly disease exposes them to further complications related to reproductive, maternal, and neonatal health such as foetal loss, stillbirth, premature delivery, and low-birthweight infants. This evidence places emphasis on the need to strengthen existing tools to significantly improve and support the agenda around women and health and more particularly NTDs and malaria.

Through the ALMA scorecards for accountability and action, the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) has for over a decade strived to contribute to this by helping countries track national progress not only in malaria and NTDs but also on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH), nutrition and community health. With a broad range of indicators, the tools are critical in identifying barriers, helping increase accountability and enhancing decision-making. More importantly, the tools are instrumental in improving strategies and interventions around access to healthcare among the most vulnerable populations such as women.

In Malaria for example, 85% of the countries with malaria scorecards have included indicators that focus on malaria and pregnancy such as Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPTp) coverage, and routine distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated nets (LLNs). Inclusion of such indicators supports advocacy and action to ensure the availability of resources for life-saving interventions for women.

Further, inclusion of gender-linked indicators in national scorecards has led to greater transparency and discussion around access to key interventions for women and children. For example, in RMNCAH scorecards, countries track access to family planning by adolescents, indicators related to domestic and gender-based violence (Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan), Human Papillomavirus (Burkina Faso, Uganda), tracking management of victims of Female Genital Mutilation (Nigeria) and highlighting policies and laws to allow safe abortion and safe access to services for adolescents (Burkina Faso). Strengthened collaboration between malaria programmes and maternal and child programmes has been identified as a priority for improved performance in malaria in pregnancy indicators in several countries.

The goal of achieving gender equity and equality cannot be realised without addressing women’s health issues.  A healthy woman is a strong agent in the workplace, community, and the national economy. Therefore, as the world commemorates International Women’s Day today and calls for greater action to drive inclusion, it is imperative that we do so on all fronts including healthcare.

By working together and strengthening action in bridging the gender gap in health, we can #breakthebias against women one step at a time.