The School of Population Health at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is launching a Women’s Health Research Network to promote and advance research dedicated to women's health in Ireland.

An event to mark the launch – Advancing Women’s Health Research in Ireland: Bridging Gaps and Building Collaborative Pathways – will take place at the RCSI campus on Stephens Green today to coincide with International Women’s Day.

The event brings together researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers and patient advocates to discuss research priorities and opportunities for collaboration.

Women experience unique health challenges, yet many conditions remain poorly understood or lack tailored prevention, diagnosis and management strategies:

• One-in-five women of reproductive age lives with obesity in Ireland impacting reproductive health, pregnancy outcomes and intergenerational health.
• One-in-six couples in Ireland experiences infertility.
• Endometriosis effects an estimated 155,000 of women in Ireland.
• Young women in Ireland have the highest levels of negative mental health.
• Heart disease and stroke account for a quarter of all female deaths in Ireland.
• Menopause increases the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.
• Each year almost 3,600 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Ireland – 30% of all cancer diagnoses.

Leaders of the new network are calling for significant increases in funding for women’s health research in Ireland.  

Dr Angela Flynn, co-founder of the Women’s Health Research Network at RCSI highlights the challenges: "Women’s health has been underrepresented in Ireland’s research agenda for far too long. A long-term investment strategy is needed to secure dedicated funding from national agencies. Additionally, increasing opportunities for early and mid-career researchers is critical to training and retaining the next generation of women’s health scientists in Ireland."

The event will feature discussions, patient perspectives and conversations about the future of women’s health research in Ireland.

Learn more about the School of Population Health at RCSI here.