The research team used the GBD 2021 dataset to compare the disability-adjusted life-years (an index for assessing the overall health loss due to fatal and non-fatal disease burden) of women and men for the 20 leading causes of disease burden in individuals aged 10 years and older, at the global level and in seven global regions, from 1990 to 2021. The research team identified striking health differences between women and men. In particular, the burden of mental disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, and neurological disorders was higher in women (than in men) globally, while in contrast, the disability-adjusted life-years for COVID-19, road accidents, ischemic heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and tuberculosis were higher in men (than in women). The regional analysis showed similar trends in health disparities as those observed at the global level. Moreover, it was observed that health disparities between men and women appear at an early age and continue to widen throughout life.
Overall, this study highlights health differences between women and men that emerge at a younger age and progress throughout the lifespan, underscoring the need to develop gender- and age-tailored policies to address health disparities and promote health equity.
