Women all over the world are still unable to avail themselves of important health care needs despite vast developments in societies, a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed.

The WHO report, launched at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland the other day, entitled “Today’s Evidence Tomorrow’s Agenda,” pictured the lack of health services for women and adolescent girls in many countries.

WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said it is about time that governments come up with more programs for women and adolescent girls from birth to older age.

“If women are denied a chance to develop their full human potential, including their potential to lead healthier and at least somewhat happier lives, is society as a whole really healthy? What does this say about the state of social progress in the 21st century? asked Chan.

Despite providing the bulk of health care in the home, community, or in the health system, Chan lamented that women’s specific health needs and challenges are still unmet throughout their lives.

The global health body leader cited that up to 80 percent of all health care and 90 percent of care for HIV/AIDS-related illness are provided in the home-almost always by women. “Yet more often than not, they go unsupported, unrecognized, and unremunerated in this essential role,” she said.

“When it comes to meeting women’s health care needs, some services such as care during pregnancy, are more likely to be in place than those covering issues such as mental health, sexual violence and screening and treatment for cervical cancer,” she added.

Chan said that in many countries sexual and reproductive health services are mostly targeted to married women ignoring the needs of unmarried women and adolescents.

Chan said governments must come up with services that cater to ‘marginalized groups’ of women such as sex workers, intravenous drug users, ethnic minorities, and rural women.