2.2.1 Metric 2: Clinical practice guidelines Definition: Assessment of how closely national CPGs follow global benchmarks Source: WHO guidelines, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) guidelines, country-level clinical practice guidelines Period: Most recent year available CPGs are evidence-based, nationally recognized, standardized recommendations for healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses and other healthcare practitioners) on how to diagnose and treat specific medical conditions, and are foundational steps towards providing quality care. While designed to reduce variability of care provided and improve health outcomes, implementation challenges often arise given disparities in access to resources, knowledge or care-delivery environments that can meet these standards. Outdated, incomplete or missing guidelines are proxies for a care delivery system that does not or is unable to prioritize the condition and spectrum of care associated with it. The presence and comprehensiveness of CPGs for the nine conditions in 15 countries were included in this analysis. To conduct this assessment, a global benchmark was determined based on guidelines published by the WHO, FIGO or equivalent body for all conditions. The comprehensiveness of national CPGs (when available) from the 15 selected countries across the nine conditions was then assessed by comparing to the global benchmark. Then, each CPG was scored 1–3 for prevention (if applicable), diagnosis and treatment to identify gaps and opportunities for further development. These 1–3 assessment levels were based on the inclusion of risk factors specific to women, diagnostic cut-off, treatment protocols and pathways. A score of 1 indicates the guideline fell below the standard of the global guideline, a 2 indicates there are some gaps to achieving the global guideline standard and 3 indicates the guideline is in line with global guidelines. CPGs were not always straightforward to identify, and in some cases individual requests had to be made to multiple stakeholders in different working groups to identify what was seen as a best-practice CPG for prevention, diagnosis or treatment of a condition. Some element of standardization and minimum requirement of quality in CPGs – for instance, benchmarked against global CPGs as attempted in this assessment – may have a positive effect on care delivery through more thorough and easily accessible guidance.In the analysis itself, some allowances could be made in which CPGs for related or similar conditions might exist and could cover care guidance – for instance, antenatal care covering some of the elements assessed in maternal health-related conditions. However, this report maintains that a lack of clear guidance specifically for a condition is a gap that could be addressed to ensure comprehensive direction is available to support a minimum standard of care. To ensure the assessment was globally applicable, the best-standard CPGs were applied as the benchmark against which to compare. However, there are some instances, particularly in LMICs, in which these CPGs may not be feasible or appropriate to implement. For example, mammographic screening is challenging to implement and not yet scaled in some LMIC countries; however, it is often included in the CPG benchmark as the best practice. CPGs are also updated at countries’ discretion and therefore some may be older than others, potentially creating inequities between the assessments. However, having an outdated CPG in itself is an aspect of the care delivery gap that countries could be encouraged to address. This analysis used the latest CPGs available at the country level to carry out the analysis, recognizing that the latest year of update may vary across conditions and countries. 2.2.2 Metric 3: Mortality rate Definition: Mortality rate by condition Source: WHO mortality database, Global Cancer Observatory database Period: 2001–2023 Mortality measures the frequency of condition- specific deaths within a population. Mortality due to the women’s health conditions included in the first year of tracking may be preventable with existing treatments and is often connected to disparities in care. Data was collected only for conditions where applicable, with not all conditions having mortality as a likely and direct outcome. Conditions included are ischaemic heart disease, post-partum haemorrhage, breast cancer and cervical cancer. Data from the WHO mortality and Global Cancer Observatory databases were collected in August 2024. The WHO mortality database was used to track mortality for ischaemic heart disease and post-partum haemorrhage, whereas the Global Cancer Observatory database was used to collect data on breast and cervical cancer.2.2 Care delivery gap metrics Blueprint to Close the Women’s Health Gap: How to Improve Lives and Economies for All 40

Blueprint to Close the Women%E2%80%99s Health Gap 2025