Experts discuss the need for a lifecycle approach to women’s healthcare in India, focusing on prevention, mental health, and healthy ageing.
Ms. Anika Parashar, Founder and CEO at The Woman's Company, and Founder & Chairperson at Organ India
Q: Women’s healthcare in India has traditionally focused on fertility and maternity. How can the sector move towards a more holistic, lifecycle-driven model that integrates mental health, preventive care, and healthy ageing?
For decades, women’s healthcare has largely centred around fertility and pregnancy. While these are important phases, they represent only a part of a much longer health journey. Women’s health begins at menarche and evolves through reproductive years, perimenopause, menopause, and healthy ageing.
The shift requires adopting a lifecycle approach, one that views women’s health as continuous rather than episodic. Mental health, hormonal balance, metabolic conditions, preventive screenings, and lifestyle-related disorders must be addressed in an integrated manner rather than in silos.
Equally important is creating healthcare environments where women feel heard and respected, because when women don’t feel safe asking questions, preventive care is often the first thing to drop off. That is exactly what the numbers reflect. A 2024 India analysis found that only about 0.9% of women had undergone breast cancer screening and 1.9% had undergone cervical cancer screening. That is not a small gap, it is a signal that women are reaching healthcare too late, too often. When care moves beyond event-based intervention to long-term partnership, women are supported at every stage, not valued only during motherhood, but throughout their lives.
Q: How can an intergenerational approach to healthcare spanning adolescents to elderly women help shift deeply rooted attitudes and improve long-term health outcomes?
Health awareness is often shaped within families. Conversations or the absence of them around menstruation, fertility, menopause, and preventive care tend to pass across generations.
An intergenerational approach ensures that support is not fragmented. When adolescents understand their bodies early, they grow into adults who prioritise preventive care. When mothers model regular check-ups, it normalises self-investment. When older women speak openly about menopause or bone health, stigma reduces.
The numbers across life stages are genuinely hard to ignore. For adolescents, NFHS-5 data shows 59.1% of girls aged 15-19 are anaemic in India. That means fatigue and low energy are being normalised from the very start.
At the other end, a 2025 paper cites a systematic review showing osteoporosis prevalence estimates ranging from 8% to 62% among postmenopausal Indian women, which is why bone health cannot be an “afterthought” conversation.
Creating a unified, women-centric ecosystem allows families to experience continuity of care. Over time, this helps shift attitudes from reactive treatment to proactive wellbeing, improving long-term outcomes across generations.
Q: In the context of Women’s Day, how can we reframe the narrative around self-care so that women view preventive health and wellbeing as essential rather than optional?
Women’s Day presents an opportunity to rethink how women perceive their own health. For many, caregiving responsibilities have traditionally taken precedence over personal wellbeing.
In India, the burden is not only reproductive. NFHS-5 era analyses show that 24% of women of reproductive age were overweight/obese (2019-21), and hypertension prevalence in the 15-49 age group is reported at 22.80%. These are not “later-life” conditions anymore, they are now part of women’s everyday health reality.
And access is still a major barrier. A 2025 report coverage based on Tata AIG data noted that 75% of women remain underinsured (no coverage above ₹20 lakh), which makes preventive care and early treatment harder to sustain.
Reframing self-care as responsibility rather than indulgence is crucial. Preventive screenings, mental health support, regular movement, and timely medical consultations are long-term investments. When women prioritise their health without guilt, they build resilience, energy, and confidence, strengthening not just themselves, but the families and communities they support.
Self-care is not a luxury. It is foundational to sustainable wellbeing.
Q: What does a true ‘for women, for life’ healthcare model look like in the Indian context, and how can a lifecycle approach transform access, continuity, and trust in women’s healthcare?
A true “for women, for life” model is rooted in continuity. In India, it is estimated that more than 70% of Indian women are affected by ongoing health concerns including menstrual disorders, thyroid imbalances, PCOS, fibroids, and metabolic conditions yet preventive engagement remains limited.
A lifecycle approach shifts the focus from reactive treatment to proactive partnership. It encourages structured screenings, early diagnosis, mental health integration, and specialised support during menopause and ageing.
When healthcare systems are designed around continuity and compassion, women are more likely to seek care early and consistently. Over time, this builds trust and trust is fundamental to better health outcomes.
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