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Sex-disaggregated data matters: tracking the impact of COVID-19 on the health of women and men

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah Hawkes

    (Institute for Global Health, UCL, and Global Health 50/50)

  • Athena Pantazis

    (Independent Consultant To Global Health 50/50)

  • Anna Purdie

    (Institute for Global Health, UCL, and Global Health 50/50)

  • Abhishek Gautam

    (International Center for Research On Women)

  • Sylvia Kiwuwa-Muyingo

    (African Population and Health Research Center)

  • Kent Buse

    (The George Institute for Global Health and Global Health 50/50, University of New South Wales, Global Health 50/50)

  • Sonja Tanaka

    (Global Health 50/50)

  • Kakoli Borkotoky

    (International Center for Research On Women)

  • Sneha Sharma

    (International Center for Research On Women)

  • Ravi Verma

    (International Center for Research On Women)

Abstract

Sex and gender matter to health outcomes, but despite repeated commitments to sex-disaggregate data in health policies and programmes, a persistent and substantial absence of such data remains especially in lower-income countries. This represents a missed opportunity for monitoring and identifying gender-responsive, evidence-informed solutions to address a key driver of the pandemic. In this paper we review the availability of national sex-disaggregated surveillance data on COVID-19 and examine trends on the testing-to-outcome pathway. We further analyse the availability of data according to the economic status of the country and investigate the determinants of sex differences, including the national gender inequality status (according to a global index) in each country. Results are drawn from 18 months of global data collection from over 200 countries. We find differences in COVID-19 prevention behaviours and illness outcomes by sex, with lower uptake of vaccination and testing plus an elevated risk of severe disease and death among men. Supporting and maintaining the collection, collation, interpretation and presentation of sex-disaggregated data requires commitment and resources at subnational, national and global levels, but provides an opportunity for identifying and taking gender-responsive action on health inequities. As a first step the global health community should recognise, value and support the importance of sex-disaggregated data for identifying and tackling an inequitable pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Hawkes & Athena Pantazis & Anna Purdie & Abhishek Gautam & Sylvia Kiwuwa-Muyingo & Kent Buse & Sonja Tanaka & Kakoli Borkotoky & Sneha Sharma & Ravi Verma, 2022. "Sex-disaggregated data matters: tracking the impact of COVID-19 on the health of women and men," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 39(1), pages 55-73, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:epolit:v:39:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s40888-021-00254-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s40888-021-00254-4
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    1. Takehiro Takahashi & Mallory K. Ellingson & Patrick Wong & Benjamin Israelow & Carolina Lucas & Jon Klein & Julio Silva & Tianyang Mao & Ji Eun Oh & Maria Tokuyama & Peiwen Lu & Arvind Venkataraman & , 2020. "Sex differences in immune responses that underlie COVID-19 disease outcomes," Nature, Nature, vol. 588(7837), pages 315-320, December.
    2. Nandita Saikia & Moradhvaj & Jayanta Kumar Bora, 2016. "Gender Difference in Health-Care Expenditure: Evidence from India Human Development Survey," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-15, July.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; Sex-disaggregated data; Gender inequality; Health inequity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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