Addressing the gender health disparity could boost the global economy by at least $1tn annually by 2040, as per a report. Credit: PeopleImages via Getty Images.

The health disparity between women and men is a pressing global challenge, experts highlighted in a discussion at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 in Switzerland.

Despite comprising half the global population, women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health compared to men, according to a 2024 report by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute. Addressing this gap could not only improve millions of lives, but also add at least $1trn to the global economy annually by 2040, said Anita Zaidi, president of gender equality at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, quoting the report.

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Innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), digital health tools, and cross-sector collaboration are expected to help bridge this disparity: “I’m very excited about the potential for AI … I think the biggest benefit that we’ll see of AI will be in the health space,” said Zaidi.

However, a profound lack of gender-disaggregated data, for starters, is hampering research and development (R&D), and healthcare delivery systems.

Bridging the data divide

Zaidi emphasised the consequences of insufficient data on women’s health: “The lack of gender data that informs why we should be caring about women’s health …[it] is leading to consequences such as lack of investment in women’s health, R&D, and health systems that serve women.”

Zaidi also noted that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and other critical health issues often remain under-researched due to this gap, perpetuating systemic neglect, and closing this gender data gap is foundational to driving progress.

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If technology involving AI and digital tools is designed with gender inclusivity, it could revolutionise diagnostics and care delivery for women. Zaidi shared an example of the Gates Foundation’s work on AI-powered obstetric ultrasound, called the foetal wellness monitor. “Obstetrics, cancer, fibroids, and gallstones that don’t get diagnosed right now will become primary healthcare diagnostics in the future,” explained Zaidi on AI in the diagnostics space.

Catherine Russell, executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), echoed this optimism, but urged caution regarding AI’s potential risks: “We also worry a lot about the impact of technology on children … as much as we are wholeheartedly excited about the potential for AI to help us reach populations that we’re not reaching right now, we’re also mindful of the potential downsides.”

The session acknowledged the need for deliberate and ethical design to prevent biases in AI, particularly given historical disparities in medical education and research. Zaidi pointed out: “Bias in AI technology … is a real issue, and we have to be very intentional about looking at this. There is an opportunity now, when everything is so new, to make sure the right data is there for the bias to not be there.”

According to the GlobalData State of the Biopharmaceutical Industry 2025 report, big data and AI will continue to dominate as transformational forces in the healthcare sector in the next 12 months.

Beyond technology, collaboration across public and private sectors, academia, and grassroots organisations was highlighted as essential for accelerating progress. Zaidi shared the Gates Foundation’s experience in building coalitions that bring together diverse stakeholders to tackle women’s health challenges: “Bringing [industry partners, venture funds, biotechs, and academics] together with committed government leaders in a coalition format has been enormously transformative for the field.”

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 is taking place in Davos, Switzerland from 20 to 24 January 2025.