Women's Health– the Well-Being of the Nation Forum
4 March 2020, Moscow
On March 4, Moscow hosted the forum "Women's Health – the Well-Being of the Nation". The idea of holding it arose during the Second Eurasian Women's Forum, held in Saint-Petersburg in 2018.
"There is a clear request for change in society. Today, the social agenda is elevated to the rank of national priorities that determine the future fate of Russia," said the Initiator of the Forum, Head of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, addressing its participants. She stressed that women can make a significant contribution not only to the implementation of the national project "Health Care," but also to the preservation and strengthening of the citizens’ health.
The Life Expectancy of a Russian Woman is 78 years
According to the Speaker of the Upper House, the main focus of all changes in the country is put on the basic values: increasing life expectancy, achieving active longevity, reducing mortality and increasing fertility, ensuring the availability and quality of medical care. According to her, positive results have already been achieved. Infant and maternal mortality rates in Russia have reached a historic low. Women's life expectancy has increased by four years over the past ten years and now stands at 78 years, and this is not the limit. Valentina Matvienko noted that today for women "at the state level, all opportunities to ensure that we monitor our health, find time for this are created." So, the all-Russian medical examination has been launched: now every Russian has the right to undergo free comprehensive preventive examinations every year. And from the age of 40 – an annual expanded medical screening examination. The content of preventive measures has been updated, including an expanded cancer screening program.
Take Care of the Men!
At the initiative of the Federation Council, it is possible to pass professional examinations on weekdays at the legislative level. Now working citizens have the right to an additional day off, which is especially important for women. Unfortunately, the Speaker added that men on average live ten years less than women.
"Men's health should also be the subject of our common concern," said Valentina Matvienko.
Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Health supported her:
"Women take a more responsible approach to issues of healthy lifestyle and disease prevention. The volume of outpatient care provided to men over 18 years of age is half the volume provided to women of the same age group," the Minister said, "Unfortunately, this trend does not indicate a stronger health of men. On the contrary, they account for the predominant volume of high-tech medical care used for advanced forms of diseases."
It is important, he said, to equalize the difference in average life expectancy between men and women, increasing it in men.
To Be Healthy in Ugra
During the speech, Valentina Matvienko noted that women successfully demonstrate themselves in a variety of industries:
"Russia is the leader in the number of women in science and the nuclear sector. Moreover, Russian medicine has a "Female Face": more than 70% of doctors and 95% of medical staff are women. Social entrepreneurship and public associations are also mostly represented by women."
However, there is only one woman in the Governor's Office. It is no coincidence that Natalia Komarova, who has been the Head of Ugra since 2010, welcomed the participants of the Forum "Women's Health – the Well-Being of the Nation."
In her welcome speech to the forum participants, the Governor stressed the importance of the issues raised at the forum concerning women's health.
She recalled that, according to the definition of the World Health Organization, "health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not only the absence of diseases and physical defects". It is from this perspective that the head of the region suggested looking at the health of a modern woman from Ugra, taking into account various factors and opportunities created in the district. First of all, they are related to the creation of an affordable health care system, a comfortable environment for families with children, the development of "Child" and "Family" health care, as well as support for the birth rate.
Studying the Northerner's Genome
Natalia Komarova said that Ugra is constantly working to find "modern solutions aimed at taking care of future and established mothers and children". Thus, a center for advanced biomedical technologies is being created in the Autonomous Okrug. It will include the laboratory "Health of Women and Children in the Far North and the Arctic."
"The laboratory will undertake promising genomic research, including studying the genome of residents of the Arctic and Subarctic territories, identifying the relationship of genomic disorders with the risk of various diseases. The development of a genetic passport of the indigenous peoples of Ugra in the future will allow to introduce personalized approaches to the treatment of various diseases in the northerners," said the Governor.
She also brought to the attention of the Forum participants the fact that the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra is open to cooperation, ready to participate in population genetic research of Federal and World Level and is waiting for young specialists to work with.
"In turn, we are ready to provide conditions for the implementation of their most ambitious ideas," added Natalia Komarova.
She reminded that Ugra is a region with a young population:
"Young women from Ugra create families, realize themselves as specialists and leaders. In this regard, we are interested in technologies for creating conditions for combining family, parental responsibilities and professional employment. I hope that the Forum will add to our "Bank of Solutions", and our colleagues will share their experience."
The Forum "Women's Health – the Well-Being of the Nation" was initiated by the Federation Council, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the "Innosocium" Foundation.
Tags: #The Well-Being of the Nation #Women's Health
Author: Olga Maslova
Event photo
