A social epidemic that is having devastating effects on health on a global scale. What about women and children?
YNP:
A recent study, led by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, reveals the horrific dimensions of one of the world’s most serious and neglected health crises.
The study published by The Lancet confirmed that sexual violence against children (SVAC) and intimate partner violence against women (IPV) represent a devastating and under-recognized global health crisis. The results indicate that these phenomena of violence are among the highest risks of death and disability globally.
In 2021, more than 1 billion people aged 15 and older were victims of childhood sexual abuse, while 608 million women and girls were victims of physical or sexual violence at the hands of their intimate partners. These experiences have contributed to the loss of more than 50 million years of healthy life globally, a measure that combines years of life lost due to premature death and years lived with disability.
The study showed that violence against women is one of the strongest risk factors for lost years of healthy life among women of working age (15-49 years), surpassing common threats such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Health consequences include immediate death, suicide, homicide, chronic illness, and serious psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia, in addition to self-harm and substance use disorders.
The study confirms that sexual violence against children is linked to approximately 290,000 deaths worldwide, while domestic violence caused an additional 145,000 deaths. The study also estimates that around 30,000 women were killed by their partners in just one year.
The findings suggest that gender- and age-based violence is not just a social or criminal problem, but rather a major public health priority that requires comprehensive prevention strategies, urgent and long-term health care for survivors, and increased funding and policy commitment. Effective interventions include legislation, educational programs, women’s economic empowerment, and mental and physical health care.
This study provides strong, indisputable evidence that violence against children and women is an urgent global problem, and calls on policymakers and world leaders to treat it with the same importance given to any other epidemic that threatens the lives of millions of people.