Raising awareness: ‘Issue of a woman's health goes beyond reproduction’

Speakers discuss problems related to gender-based violence and right to healthcare

KARACHI: A woman's health is mainly measured in terms of her reproductive and maternal health but there is more to it, said the speakers at a session organised by the Aga Khan University (AKU) on Monday.

The event 'Right to Health: A Woman's Issue' was held to celebrate International Women's Day, which is observed on March 8 across the globe. "Health is a state of being in physical, mental and social well-being," said Dr Nausheen Salim, who teaches at AKU School of Nursing and Midwifery. Inequality is the biggest issue, she said, adding that there is a need to create deeper insight into women's health.

Right to life

AKU department of community health sciences senior lecturer Dr Omrana Pasha stressed that the government should provide maternal healthcare to all women without any discrimination, as health is a fundamental right. "Doctors who are found negligent should be dealt with severely," said Dr Pasha. Medical students should be trained and taught ethics, she said. Dr Pasha added that around 70 per cent of healthcare facilities are provided by the private sector. If a woman dies from any preventable maternal problems, she is basically being deprived of her right to live, she added.

Discussing diseases

There is so much shame associated with ailments relating to a woman's body, said the former chairperson of National Commission on the Status of Women Anis Haroon, adding that women who have breast cancer or other medical issues are always reluctant to discuss them. Unfortunately, a woman is not considered a human being, instead she is considered a body, he said, adding that breasts are a just part of their body. "A large number of women who come to me with breast cancer, and that too in advanced stages, tell me they have been getting homeopathic treatment," said Patel Hospital consultant general surgeon Dr Nida Wahid. Homeopathy cannot treat breast cancer, she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2016.