Effective Marketing Can Address Women's Healthcare Challenges

According to WHO, women comprise 70 percent of the global health workforce. Women in leadership roles in health, advance the agenda by placing more emphasis on rights that apply to people of both genders.

Together with encouraging one another, we need to aid and remain supportive of each other. Women's networks in the healthcare industry must be developed through collaboration.

Challenges In Women Healthcare

According to the Indian Women's Health Report 2021, which surveyed 1000 working women, about half of the respondents said they felt uncomfortable discussing one or more concerns related to women's health because of the prevalent social and cultural stigmas attached to them. Many aspects of wellness must be examined in relation to national and international health averages in India to appropriately improve women's health in India. A crucial component of both human well-being and economic progress is health.

The expectations placed on men and women by society and their families differ, creating corresponding mental and physical energy requirements among both genders. While there is a steady growth in women’s healthcare in India, with one of the key elements influencing the growth of the women's healthcare market is women's awareness of their health and well-being. There is an increased need for a variety of healthcare services, goods, and upgrades to the current infrastructure as a consequence of women's changing priorities because of rising awareness of the need to prioritise their well-being. Women's health education is essential for patients as well as healthcare professionals.

Healthcare Marketing for Women

Women's healthcare marketing raises environmental awareness in the areas where women live and work, substantially impacting their general health. Environmental awareness is provided through activities and campaigns concerning women's health outcomes. Numerous programmes help women with education, environmental health literacy, and public health.
The landscape of healthcare marketing has undergone a considerable change. To reach, engage, and appeal to the public, healthcare marketing has evolved to become more consumer-centric. The healthcare industry is constantly changing as consumers increasingly take charge of their health in a sector where the consumer is a priority.

As a result of changing healthcare dynamics and consumer experiences that are enhanced by technology, customers have moved into the centre of the care paradigm. This led to the recognition of how important customers are when working for a business that values the human experience. They are now decision facilitators rather than decision followers. Focusing the marketing strategy on the target market is crucial.

There has been a growth in healthcare marketing targeting women to ramp up efforts to empower girls and women to pave the path for gender equality. A variety of campaigns have been introduced in the media to develop the healthcare infrastructure for women in India. To share an example, a campaign around educating women about vitamin D deficiency and bone health was created to spread awareness about bone health and encourage people to adopt a healthy diet, regular exercise, and routine screening. Another instance is a breast cancer awareness campaign which aimed to inform the public about a life-saving ability that can aid in early diagnosis and save a life to raise awareness of the importance of self-breast examination.

Considering sleep deprivation and sleep disorders in women are underdiagnosed and untreated, ResMed has also been striving to establish a women's sleep health initiative. Women experience fewer effective symptoms of sleep apnea than males do, which could possibly result in erroneous diagnoses.

It is essential to continue efforts for promoting preventive care and creating platforms for women stakeholders to have an open conversation about their health is critical as we look to the future of healthcare. To make women feel comfortable talking about their health, holistic support is essential with high-quality patient-centred care by enhancing possibilities for trusting engagement between healthcare personnel and patients and psychological counselling choices.

To maintain healthy physical and mental health, one must be more conscious of how hormones, the environment, and lifestyle choices affect them.

Authored by Seema Arora, Head - Marketing & Brand, South Asia, ResMed.

Suggested reading: Women Progressing Across Fields: It’s Time To Make Their Healthcare A Priority