McKinsey's Blueprint to Close the Women’s Health Gap: Key Takeaways for Africa

FemImpact Africa
Feb 4
6 min read

Updated: Apr 7

The McKinsey Health Institute (MHI), in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, released a groundbreaking report in January 2025 outlining key actions to improve women’s health and strengthen economies. This article summarises the key findings and the relevant takeaways for innovators in Africa.

Underscoring the urgent need for improved data, more effective healthcare interventions, and better care delivery that includes all women, the authors highlight the necessity for greater investment in healthcare systems that address women's unique needs. The report also introduces a new global platform to measure, track, and address the ongoing women’s health gap.

Relevance for Africa

This report is highly relevant for those working on health initiatives in Africa because it highlights critical health disparities that disproportionately affect women globally, many of which are also prominent challenges on the continent. In many African countries, women face significant health barriers, including limited access to quality healthcare, under-diagnosis of women-specific conditions, and a lack of healthcare systems that consider the unique health needs of women. The McKinsey report outlines how improving health outcomes for women can have broader societal benefits—empowering women to contribute more fully to economies and communities, which aligns with Africa's goals of fostering sustainable development.

Furthermore, many of the conditions the report addresses—such as maternal health complications, menstrual health, and reproductive health issues—are prevalent in Africa, where there is often a lack of sufficient data, investment, and policies to address these concerns effectively. Across Africa, where women play a central role in both family and community life, improving women’s health could reduce absenteeism in the workforce, enhance economic productivity, and lead to healthier, more educated generations. By focusing on closing the women’s health gap, African governments, entrepreneurs, and social sectors can unlock a significant opportunity to boost both public health and economic development across the continent.

Additionally, the report's emphasis on investment in women’s health is crucial for Africa, where public health spending is often limited. The call for private-sector involvement and investments in women’s health, particularly in workplaces and local communities, is particularly timely for African entrepreneurs, businesses, and organizations looking to improve both social and economic outcomes. The actionable steps outlined in the report provide a framework for addressing these challenges effectively, making it highly relevant for African stakeholders committed to improving women's health outcomes and closing the gender gap.

Nine Conditions for Maximum Impact

On average, women spend 25% more time in poor health compared to men, a disparity that, if closed, could add over seven extra days of healthy life per woman and contribute more than $1 trillion to the global economy each year by 2040.

The report highlights nine medical conditions which collectively account for one-third of the women’s health gap. By focusing on these key areas, the report suggests that closing the women’s health gap could significantly improve the health and economic outcomes for women and contribute to stronger global economies. Addressing these conditions, it says, could unlock $400 billion in additional global GDP annually by 2040:

5 Conditions that affect life span

Ischemic heart disease
Cervical cancer
Breast cancer
Maternal hypertensive disorder
Postpartum hemorrhage

4 Conditions that affect health span

Menopause
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Migraine
Endometriosis

Dr. Lucy Pérez, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, emphasized:

"We've identified the scale of the women’s health gap and its economic value – now it's time to take action, and we have the blueprint to make it happen."

Tracking Platform Launched

The report is paired with the launch of the Women’s Health Impact Tracking (WHIT) platform, designed to measure and monitor progress in addressing these conditions across 15 countries, with plans to expand. Closing the women’s health gap requires progress across three components: the Efficacy Gap, Care Delivery Gap, and Data Gap. The platform contains key indicators that track global progress on closing the women’s health gap across an initial set of conditions and countries, offering a blueprint to that can be scaled to close the broader women’s health gap. It also provides an actionable framework for public, private, and social sector stakeholders to close the women’s health gap and improve women’s lives globally.

Shyam Bishen, Head of the Centre for Health and Healthcare at the World Economic Forum, highlighted the need for tailored healthcare strategies:

"Women’s health needs are often neglected due to insufficient sex-specific research, with only about 10% of clinical trials for conditions like ischemic heart disease and migraine providing such data. The WHIT platform offers crucial insights to bridge these gaps and drive meaningful progress."

The framework includes five essential pillars:

Closing the Gap: A Five Step Blueprint

Improve Data Collection

Accurate and comprehensive data on women’s health is crucial for understanding the true burden of diseases that affect women, particularly those that are gender-specific or disproportionately impact women.

This includes ensuring proper tracking of maternal health conditions, which has significant implications for the long-term health of both women and children.
Focus Research on Women’s Health

More research is needed that centers on women’s unique health needs. This would help challenge existing misconceptions and uncover new insights into conditions that affect women differently. Emphasizing sex-disaggregated data is crucial for understanding how women respond to treatments and experience diseases in ways distinct from men.

Additionally, researching the role of the second X chromosome, hormonal health, and menstrual cycles in women’s health is essential. Funding should also be directed toward conditions that specifically impact adolescent girls, an area that is currently underexplored.
Gender-Sensitive Healthcare Delivery

To improve health outcomes, healthcare systems should offer gender-appropriate, evidence-based care. These systems must be equipped to address not only medical needs but also social determinants of health, such as access to food, safe housing, childcare, and transportation. The healthcare system as it currently stands often fails to meet women’s needs, contributing to preventable disabilities and deaths. It is also crucial to translate existing evidence-based practices into clinical guidelines that account for sex-based differences.
Ensure Inclusive Research and Care

Closing the women’s health gap requires a focused effort to address disparities related to race, ethnicity, geography, and socioeconomic status. Any initiative aimed at improving women’s health must actively work to address these disparities and ensure that solutions are equitable for all women, regardless of background.
Invest in Women’s Health

Increased funding is necessary to drive progress in women’s health. This includes investment in clinical and translational research, community-led public health education, and the development of innovative healthcare interventions. Both public and private sectors must commit to investing in care delivery, education, and social support services to prevent illness and promote healthy aging. To close the women’s health gap, substantial investment from governments, businesses, universities, and philanthropies is essential.

Conclusion

The report acknowledges that addressing the women’s health gap requires action from public, private, and social sectors, all of which play an essential role in removing barriers that prevent women from achieving optimal health and contributing fully to society.

Health systems globally have not been designed with women's specific needs in mind, leading to preventable conditions that often result in death and disability. Women face disproportionate health challenges, which not only impact their lives but also have far-reaching effects on families, communities, and economies. Access to care remains limited, and healthcare providers often lack the necessary understanding of women’s unique health concerns, increasing the risk of poor outcomes.

Limited data on women’s health, a lack of tailored interventions, and insufficient funding have all contributed to widening the health gap. However, initiatives like the Women’s Health Impact Tracker are helping to address these issues and highlight the importance of closing the gap. Progress will require sustained collaboration and investment across all sectors to create more inclusive and effective healthcare systems.

By focusing on the essential steps of improving data collection, conducting research, providing targeted care, and investing in women’s health, the gender health divide can be narrowed. With the right actions, the report concludes, it’s possible to not only improve the lives of women and girls worldwide but also boost economies and create healthier communities.

You can find the full McKinsey report here: Blueprint to close the women’s health gap: How to improve lives and economies for all.