UBS On-Air: Market Moves Top of the Morning: Women and health - Challenges and opportunities
Jan 23, 2026
Marianna Mamou, Head of Advice Beyond Investing at UBS Chief Investment Office and lead author of the UBS Women and Health Report, explores the gender health gap. She discusses underrepresentation in research, how health affects women’s careers and finances, the rise of femtech, and why closing the gap matters for economies and investors.
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Longevity Comes With More Years In Poor Health
- Women live longer but spend about 25% more of their lives in poor health, roughly nine years on average.
- Underrepresentation in trials and research funding leaves many female conditions invisible or misunderstood.
Diagnostic Delays Harm Women Disproportionately
- Women are diagnosed later than men for over 700 diseases, causing delays that worsen outcomes.
- Examples included much longer waits for cancer and diabetes diagnoses and frequent heart-attack misdiagnosis.
Health Drives A Large Financial Penalty For Women
- Health issues reduce women's workforce participation and career progression, shrinking lifetime wealth and pensions.
- Women also face higher out-of-pocket medical costs and must make savings last longer due to greater longevity.