Women Live Longer, But Men Lead Healthier Lives, Says Report

New Delhi: In India, females can expect to live three years more than males on average. However, the difference is almost negligible when it comes to living a healthy life.

This phenomenon is not only found in India but across the globe. According to public health experts, the reason for this could be poorer access to healthcare and attention to health, particularly among older women.

The new World Health Statistics report of 2021 released recently says women across the world can expect to live an average of five years more than men. However, as far as healthy life expectancy is concerned, the advantage shrinks to less than half as much at 2.4 years.

“Women’s life expectancy is significantly higher than men’s, but this advantage does not translate to women having healthier lives. There are several reasons for this disparity, including women’s lack of access and decision-making about their health and bodily autonomy. The recently released Longitudinal Aging Survey of India reveals a high prevalence of reproductive health problems among older women beyond the childbearing age group. Older women also have a higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases and suffer from poor nutritional status as compared to their male counterparts,” executive director of the Population Foundation of India, Poonam Muttreja was quoted as saying by The Times of India