Men at higher risk of early Covid death: Lancet

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Mental health conditions, especially depressive disorders, also take a heavier toll on women, with the widest gaps observed in high-income countries and parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The notable health differences between females and males point to an urgent need for policies to be based on sex-specific and age-specific data, the report said. It is also important to continue promoting gender-sensitive research, and ultimately, implement interventions that not only reduce the burden of disease but also achieve greater health equity, it added.

"Historically, the focus on women's health has been largely focused on sexual and reproductive concerns, which, although crucial, do not encompass the full spectrum of health issues affecting females throughout the life course," the authors said.

The study was based on Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 to compare disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) rates for females and males for the 20 leading causes of disease burden for individuals older than 10 years at the global level and across seven world regions, between 1990 and 2021 Luisa Sorio Flor, the main author of the study, noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has shown the importance of understanding how sex differences impact health outcomes.

'Need for policies'

Mental health conditions take a heavier toll on women, with the widest gaps observed in high-income countries. The health differences between females and males point to an urgent need for policies to be based on sex-specific and age-specific data, it said. It is also important to continue promoting gender-sensitive research, and implement interventions that not only reduce the burden of disease but also achieve greater health equity.