150 VIEWPOINT Meeting the needs of women’s health SALLY ANN FRANK: MICROSOFT Women’s health has a long history of neglect, but investment and innovation is now delivering accessible, affordable, and personalised solutions Women’s health is a broad and diverse field that is often viewed narrowly as reproductive and maternal health. However, the industry is beginning to understand that it also includes chronic diseases, mental health, aging and social determinants of health. Despite the importance and complexity of women’s health, it has historically been neglected and underfunded. In fact, women were excluded from most clinical trials until 1993. The result is a significant gap in knowledge, innovation and access to care. However, in recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the need and potential of women’s health, as well as the business opportunity it presents. A report by McKinsey, Closing the Women’s Health Gap, highlighted that while women live longer, they also tend to have more unhealthy years than their male counterparts. Additionally, the report also notes that “many epidemiological and clinical data sets widely used today fail to provide a complete picture of women’s health because they undercount and undervalue the health burden.” On the bright side, we are beginning to see more investment in digital health solutions for women and expansion of women’s health to include more than just reproductive and maternal health. According to Forbes, femtech startups had received a total of $679.48 million in venture capital funding in 2024 as of 30 June, representing a three per cent increase over the previous mid-year record, which was $660.02 million in 2022. As for expanding the definition of women’s health, two early-stage companies exemplify innovation in the industry. Niramai, based in India and founded by Geetha Manjunath, PhD, uses artificial intelligence and thermal imaging to provide a non-invasive, accurate and affordable screening tool for breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide and the leading cause of cancer death among women in low- and middle-income countries. However, many women do not have access to regular mammography due to the high cost, limited availability and social and cultural barriers. Niramai’s solution, called Thermalytix, is a portable device that can scan the breast using a thermal camera, and analyse the images using a cloud-based algorithm that can detect the presence of malignant tumours. Thermalytix is painless, radiation-free, privacy-preserving, and suitable for women of all ages and breast sizes. The core technology of their solution uses patented machine learning algorithms for reliable and accurate detection of breast cancer. This solution can be used as a cancer diagnosis test in hospitals, for regular preventive “We are beginning to see more investment in digital health solutions for women”
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