Blood health plays an essential role in the body’s overall well-being. It supports critical functions, such as carrying oxygen, fighting infection and regulating body temperature. Yet conditions such as anemia, iron deficiency, and bleeding disorders can significantly affect women’s health at different stages of life, often going unrecognized, underdiagnosed – and therefore, untreated. 

Globally nearly one in three women aged 15-49 are anemic. Among pregnant women the rate rises to 37%. The burden is heaviest in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 350 million women are affected. When anemia becomes chronic, it can erode a woman’s quality of life, overall functioning, and productivity. Still, many dismiss symptoms like fatigue and dizziness as normal, without recognizing them as signs of impaired blood health. 

Through this focus area, PWW will engage with regional, national, and local women’s health advocacy organizations to foster awareness of the role of blood health in women’s health. 

Interested in joining the Obesity Working Group to help advance women’s health? Please email info@womenswellness.org.