💡At GIANT Health, I chat with Teodora Popa, a reproductive scientist, about her involvement in the event's new stream focused on innovation in women's health.

👨🏽‍🏫Teodora highlights the growing interest and demand for solutions in women's health, highlighting the importance of bringing people together to address real problems. She hammers home the need for education and collaboration, aiming to empower individuals to take charge of their health and make informed decisions.

👩🏻‍⚕️The conversation delves into the inadequacies of current education systems in addressing women's health issues, particularly in fertility and reproductive biology. Teodora advocates for credible, accessible information- sharing knowledge in a friendly, understandable manner.

💷Here, I speak with Bridget Gorham, a Health Economics Policy Advisor at the NHS Confederation, straight after she spoke on a FemTech panel at the GIANT Health Event. Bridget discusses her role in exploring the economic impact of investment in women's health throughout England.

🤝She highlights the unity of women's health with broader societal and economic factors, such as caregiving responsibilities and women's significant presence in the NHS workforce. Bridget emphasises the need to listen to women's experiences within the healthcare system, advocating for improved patient journeys and more effective utilisation of resources. She highlights the significance of implementing practical measures to support women's health and workforce participation.

💊Professor Asif Ahmed, Professor of Vascular Biology and founder of MirZyme Therapeutics. He's on a mission to eradicate pre-eclampsia in the UK by 2030! They've got an incredible test: M Preg that predicts who's at risk and a one-time pill to prevent it!

🤰🏾Pre-eclampsia affects one in twelve mothers and is a major concern. It's so interesting to learn of medical advances going on RIGHT NOW rather than possibilities in the future.

❓But it's not just about science—it's about asking the right questions and pushing for answers. We both agree that women's health is getting the attention it deserves, with more people driving the conversation forward at events like Giant Health.

🏥 In this mini episode from GIANT, I was able to speak with Karina and Katja from Femtech Labs which is a leading women's health and wellness accelerator. They focus on supporting early-stage companies and innovators in the field of women's health by helping them establish themselves in the industry, while also fostering connections within the women's health ecosystem.

💉The discussion highlights the challenges and opportunities in women's health, particularly the historical exclusion of women from clinical trials until 1993. Funding emerges as a significant obstacle for Femtech startups, alongside the need for access to resources like NHS, clinical trials, and data.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦The conversation also delves into changing mindsets regarding women's health, both in the workplace and society at large. There's an emphasis on empowering women to recognise the importance of their health and advocating for workplace policies that accommodate women's needs, such as flexible working arrangements and support for women experiencing hormonal imbalances or going through IVF.

📈Professor Stephen Smith, formerly a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Cambridge and Dean of Medicine at Imperial, is heavily involved in the biotech and MedTech business, particularly focusing on innovative changes in women's health.

🏠Our conversation at GIANT Health centers on the challenges and solutions in women's health care, focusing on the need for more attention to women's health despite its historical neglect. Professor Smith advocates for the establishment of women's health hubs within the NHS, providing centralised care and diagnostics for women's health issues to streamline the patient experience.

📝One of the key issues he highlighted was the fragmentation of medical records within the NHS but on the flip side, there seem to be promising innovations in diagnosis and treatment for common gynecological conditions like preeclampsia and endometriosis.

🙋🏽‍♀️Overall, we mention the importance of prioritising women's health, streamlining healthcare processes, and empowering patients to take an active role in their own healthcare journey.

🏅Dame Lesley Regan is the first Women's Health Ambassador for England using her training as an obstetrician and gynaecologist. I discuss her role with her in implementing the 10-year Women's Health Strategy launched in 2022.

🔍The conversation delves into the broad scope of women's health, emphasising its significance beyond reproductive concerns. Dame Lesley highlights the need for a shift in perspective, recognising that women's health impacts every stage of their lives and influences future generations.

📚Education emerges as a pivotal factor in promoting women's health, with Dame Lesley advocating for comprehensive health education in schools and warning against misinformation on popular platforms like TikTok.

✊🏼Dame Lesley outlines her vision for women's health, envisioning a future where women have autonomy over their reproductive choices, receive adequate support for menstrual health, and transition through menopause with ease. She emphasises the importance of living well throughout every stage of life and aims to empower women to prioritise their health.

🚺Overall, our conversation highlights the importance of holistic approaches to women's health, education, and the need for accurate information to empower women to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.