Table 1 Global actions that stakeholders across industries can take to address the women’s brain health gap, which has potential intergenerational effects
Reason for women’s brain health gap | Proposed solutions | Proposed implementation |
---|---|---|
Limited understanding of sex-based differences in brain health | De-bias the brain health-care delivery system at large and for women | -Provide bias-awareness training for health-care providers -Develop clinical guidelines considering sex and gender differences -Increase women’s representation in clinical trials and research studies |
Low investment in women’s health that limits the scale of innovation and precision medicine | Invest in women’s brain capital | -Provide dedicated funding for sex-specific brain health research -Cultivate a network of public and private investors interested in funding women’s brain health -Offer grants and accelerator programs for start-ups focusing on women’s brain health |
Data gaps that result in women’s health burdens being undercounted/neglected/underestimated | Destigmatize and raise awareness on brain health conditions | -Increase awareness of stigmas and female-specific challenges through targeted education campaigns -Promote understanding of the impact of hormone cycles on brain health -Advocate inclusion of female-specific brain health topics in medical school curricula |
Sex-/gender-based barriers to brain health-care delivery | Implement policies that advance women’s brain health | -Advocate comprehensive health-care coverage for brain health conditions -Support workplace policies for affected individuals -Allocate government funds for gender-specific brain health research |