Lancet Commission Updates Global Female Health, Tackling Menstruation and Bleeding Disorders Across Lifespans

The Lancet Haematology has published a new Lancet Haematology Commission focused on global female health and haematology, bringing attention to how bleeding and clotting disorders uniquely affect women and girls worldwide. The commission—an interdisciplinary, international collaboration—translates a life-course view of hematologic risk into practical recommendations for improving diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes.

Co-authored by Marni Sommer, DrPh, RN, of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, the report examines hematologic health across key stages of life. It highlights conditions that intersect with menstruation, reproductive health, pregnancy, and aging, emphasizing that these periods are not medical “side issues” but central drivers of morbidity.

A core theme is under-recognized heavy menstrual bleeding, which remains frequently underdiagnosed and stigmatized. The commission connects persistent symptoms to inadequate access to evidence-based care, leaving many people without effective management and with measurable impacts on physical health and daily quality of life.

The report also frames hematologic outcomes through social determinants. Poverty, limited healthcare access, and broader structural inequities are presented as modifiable contributors that shape who receives testing, appropriate referrals, and timely therapy.

The commission launches in tandem with the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) 2026 Congress in Paris, where thousands of experts convene to advance research and clinical practice in thrombosis and hemostasis. This timing underscores the report’s translational intent: to convert scientific insight into globally applicable standards of care.

ISTH’s expanding women’s health focus is reflected in the newly established ISTH Women’s Health Hub, a program designed to accelerate education, collaboration, and advocacy for bleeding and clotting disorders across every stage of a woman’s life. The commission’s publication aligns with broader momentum for sex- and gender-responsive hematology research.

A related Commentary by Sommer in The Lancet Haematology argues that menstrual health must be treated as a foundational component of population health. Without routine recognition of the menstrual cycle as a lifelong health issue, the report warns that meaningful improvements in access and outcomes will remain constrained.

Together, the commission and accompanying commentary present a call to action for clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and advocates to reduce preventable mortality and inequity. By prioritizing visibility, investment, and evidence generation in women’s hematologic care, the initiative aims to close gaps that have persisted for decades.