Spa & Wellness MexiCaribe 52, Winter 2023-24

Wellness Diplomacy &
Women’s Health
Deborah Birx, MD, joked that governments and academic
facilities aren’t always very good at listening, but listening is
the key to change. Deborah worked to change the face of HIV
across Africa. By studying focus groups and putting women at
the center of the conversation, this key demographic that was
being overlooked could finally be reached. Once you give a
young woman her voice and empower her, her voice will never
be lost. These young women growing up with the program
were the ones intervening and helping other young women at
risk or subjected to physical and sexual violence.
Somi Javaid, of HerMD, highlights that just 20% of MDs are
actually trained to deliver care for those in menopause, yet
half the population will experience this. Educate, advocate,
and empower - not just the patient but the provider, this is
how Somi aims to create change. The inequity in care is clear;
females are less likely to be able to identify their own anatomy,
females wait longer for pain medication, and they are more
likely to die from heart attacks unless their care provider is
female. There are not enough female decision-makers in
healthcare, yet healthcare decisions at home are mostly made
by women.
Aradhana Khowala, of Aptamind Partners, asked the audience
to consider their future with an additional 20-30 years of life
expectancy. We want to live longer and better, for that, we
need money! The aging population has money and prioritizes
travel, leisure, food, and home improvement. But only 5-10%
of marketing budgets are currently targeting people over 60.
When reaching 60, people are targeted with ads for health
conditions, medications, and crematoriums, etc. We must
break the mold of what aging looks like and rewire, not retire.
Consider the 100-year life with optimism and positivity;
science, knowledge and funding will converge to change
longevity.
Aradhana Khowala
Aptamind Partners
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