Hologic: Championing & Enhancing Women’s Health

On the 8th March annually, the world comes together to honour International Women’s Day, a momentous occasion celebrating the myriad accomplishments of women across the globe. Dating back more than a century to its inception in 1911, this year’s theme, 'Inspire Inclusion', resonates profoundly, championing diversity and empowerment not just for International Women's Day 2024, but for the future too.

This year's campaign theme amplifies the pivotal role of inclusion in the pursuit of gender equality. It demands action to dismantle barriers, defy stereotypes, and foster environments where every woman is not just acknowledged but revered and respected. It's about creating spaces where women feel a genuine sense of belonging, where their voices matter, and where empowerment thrives.

We've had the privilege to sit down with two leaders from Hologic, a global medical technology innovator primarily focused on improving women’s health and well-being through early detection and treatment. They generously share their wisdom and insights as we commemorate International Women’s Day.

Tim Simpson, General Manager UK & I at Hologic

Tim Simpson joined Hologic in 2019 as UK Country Business Manager, before becoming Hologic UK and Ireland’s General Manager in February 2022.

“This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate in Progress’, which rings true for us at Hologic. We see it as our mission to champion and enhance women’s health. For this to happen in the UK, targeted investments are crucial. 

“Firstly, we need to continue to invest in research on women’s health issues, as we cannot improve what is not measured. At Hologic, we recognise the importance of data and have invested in the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index, a large, worldwide data set that captures women’s perceptions of their health and wellbeing. Over the last few years, this has contributed to international awareness that more needs to be done to improve the healthcare, and ultimately life expectancy, of women and girls everywhere. 

“Moreover, we know that preventing disease saves lives. Therefore, I believe the focus should lie at the heart of prevention, earlier detection and diagnosis. This, in turn, will have a cost benefit for the NHS in the long-term. Technology for breast cancer screening is an area where investment is crucial to meet women’s health needs in preventative health. 

“Currently, many screening programmes use traditional 2D mammography technology, which makes identifying cancer lesions more difficult in dense breasts. Therefore, investing in technology such as tomosynthesis (3D Mammography) for breast cancer screening would help provide the reassurance that women deserve. Tomosynthesis detects up to 65% more invasive breast cancers, and safely reduces recalls of patients by up to 40%, when compared to traditional 2D Mammography alone.  

“The second method of improving screening programmes is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support reading images. Therefore, investing in digital infrastructure is crucial to improving accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis, as it will ultimately lead to earlier treatment and thus better patient outcomes.”

Sarah Smith, Gynaecology Surgical Solutions Senior Marketing Manager EMEA at Hologic

Sarah Smith has worked at Hologic for over twenty years, beginning her role as Senior Marketing Manager EMEA in 2023. 

“When I reflect on International Women’s Day, I think about the many women and girls across the world who struggle to manage menstrual health conditions, such as heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). Often these conditions remain hidden and are seen as taboo subjects. 

“We carried out some research with women on  HMB in 2022 and found that a greater awareness of the condition is needed, with 67% of women in white and black African communities admitting to living with HMB for two years before speaking to a healthcare professional (HCP), and were unsure whether this was necessary.

“Improvement in women’s healthcare only begins when there is investment in empowering women to feel confident to talk about their condition with a HCP. By the same token, we also need to invest in educating HCPs, so that when a woman raises the issue, they leave feeling heard and understood.”

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