Engaging the Media in Raising Awareness About Global Women’s Health
Improving women’s health includes focusing on three critical facets: developing medical technologies that address women’s unique medical needs, implementing policy that creates opportunities to provide the best possible care and creating awareness and access to these healthcare services.
The media play a leading role in increasing public awareness, so Hologic teams throughout Europe have engaged journalists on women’s health issues and introduced them to resources like the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index. The Hologic outreach includes the following recent events.
Empowering the Media in the Netherlands
Hologic invited the editors-in-chief of the biggest women’s magazines in the Netherlands to a breakfast to learn more about the latest Index data and how those findings can help boost preventive care and timely medical treatment for Dutch women.
Additionally, Hologic urged the attendees to engage policymakers who have the largest potential to enact change for women’s health.
This was the first engagement of its kind in the region for Hologic.
Regaining Lost Ground for Women’s Health in Italy
In Rome, members of the media and government convened at “Women's Health at 360°” to discuss healthcare needs underpinned by data from the Index. The distinguished scientific journalist Valentina Arcovio moderated the event.
Arcovio noted, “It is surprising and worrying how little Italian women take care of themselves. After the pandemic, an increase in oncological screening was expected, also to make up for lost time, while in reality, participation is low. And it is even more so than it was in the year of the pandemic itself.”
Notably, the latest Index data showed that only 11% of Italian women were tested for any type of cancer. Similarly, only 13% said they were screened for diabetes and roughly 5% said they were tested for STIs.
Addressing a Key Area of Need for the Women of Spain
Hologic presented the latest Index results at a media briefing in Madrid. The event brought together experts in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) because the Index revealed low STI testing rates in Spain compared to the European Union and global averages.
“The alarming increase in cases of sexually transmitted infections in Spain underlines the urgency of a multidisciplinary approach,” said Dr. Vera García, Chair of the Board of Directors for the STI Study Group at the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology.
Another leading participant at the media briefing, Dr. Fernández Capel, Director of the Andalusian School of Public Health, said: “STIs are often asymptomatic, and it is important to increase regular screening for early detection and timely treatment.”
Bringing the Nordics Together for Women
The Hologic Nordics team co-hosted an event in Copenhagen along with the Medicon Valley Alliance to spotlight the critical intersection of innovation and policy in advancing women's health. Distinguished speakers from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden shared insights on innovative strategies to enhance women's healthcare. Around 75 participants involved in politics, women’s organizations and academia attended.
The Index data shows this region as one that cares a lot about women’s health. All four countries score in the top 25 global rankings: Denmark (8th), Finland (11th), Norway (16th) and Sweden (21st). Though 13 position points separate the Scandinavian leader from the laggard, every one of these countries scored either 64 or 63 points in the overall Index measurement, meaning a single point separated the quality of care in Denmark as compared to Sweden.