Every woman who lasts for a long time will experience menopause – the end of her ovarian function. Nevertheless, in India, this infection is immersed in forbidden, misinformation and medical neglect. While global awareness about women’s midlife health benefits, India lags dangerously behind. Most Indian women begin menopause in the mid-40s-years ago in developed countries navigate this infection without medical guidance, reliable information or medical support. If India has to secure a healthy and more economically stable future, we have to bring menopause out of the shadow and integrate it in the National Health Policy.A silent health crisisMenopause affects half the population, yet receives a fraction of attention dedicated to other life stages. In India, the absence of public dialogue, policy recognition and accessible clinical care has caused widespread pain behind the closed doors. This silence is not only social – it is systemic, India’s healthcare is inherent in infrastructure and medical education.Consider this: While pregnancy and delivery receive adequate medical attention and government support, the phase that is as follows-when women spend 30-40 years of their life-are ignored to a high extent after menopause. This medical blind spot has serious consequences for women’s health, economic productivity and quality of life.South Asian deformityIndian women face a unique challenge. Research suggests that South Asian women usually reach menopause between the ages of 45–47 compared to a global average of 50–52. It first stems from several factors: nutritional deficiencies, early pregnancies, lower body mass index, and their reproductive years limited access to preventive healthcare.The implications are deep. Indian women spend more years in post -menopause stage, with high risks for heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and cognitive decline. A recent FP analytics report suggests that by the Central and Southern Asia 2050, women entering menopause will see the biggest growth globally. By 2030, about half billion women in the age group of 45-55 worldwide will be in this infection, India will contribute significantly to these numbers.Without adequate medical infrastructure and education, this demographic change threatens to overwhelm India’s health system.Medical intervals and missed opportunitiesCultural discomfort clinical deficiencies around menopause compounds. Many Indian doctors hesitate to determine the hormone replacement therapy (HRT), yet it is the first row treatment internationally. Women are often rejected when introducing symptoms such as brain fog, insomnia, anxiety, or joint pain – symptoms are often responsible for “normal aging” rather than treatable menopause changes.Dr. Priya SharmaAiims, a gynecologist from Delhi, note: “We see women suffering in silence because they do not know that these symptoms are associated with menopause. And when they take help, there is a lack of training to provide proper care to many physicians.”The medical course in India dedicates minimum time to menopause management, making healthcare providers ill to address this important life phase. This knowledge eliminates a cycle of inadequate care and continues to suffer.Hidden economic costWhile India lacks extensive data on the economic losses related to menopause, international studies paint a picture. In the UK, productivity -related productivity loss absence, cost of billions of billions annually through low performance and early retirement. Given India’s huge women’s workforce and growing life expectancy, similar economic impacts are indispensable without intervention.Consider the effects of the wave: When women struggle with the symptoms of untreated menopause, it affects not only their career but the economic stability of their families. As more women enter the workforce, ignoring their midlife health needs become financially unstable.With the exception of epidemic: great transitionFor most human history, menopause was a biological rarity. A century ago, when Indian women lived on an average for 25-35 years, they died the most before working before ovulation. Today, with a life expectancy that has reached 71 years for women, India has crossed a significant range: the exception of the menopause criteria.Consider the mathematics of this innings. With menopause, generally in the late 40s for Indian women, and life expectancy now extends in the 70s, most Indian women will spend in the state after menopause after 25–30 years of their lives. Once experienced by a small fraction of the population, now affects hundreds of crores of women. We have successfully enhanced human life, but we have increased the ovarian function for the match.This demographic reality demands a fundamental reconsideration of women’s health. Every other important organ system receives comprehensive medical attention when it fails. We develop treatment for heart disease, intervention for kidney dysfunction, and treatment for liver disorders. Nevertheless, when it comes to ovarian failure – which affects metabolism, immune function, heart health, bone density and cognitive performance – we accept it only as unavoidable.Beyond acceptance: Re -adding ovarian healthBut what if menopause was not unavoidable? What if we have learned to support other aging organs, we can expand the ovarian function during a woman’s lifetime?When most people think about ovulation, they think of infants. When they think of menopause, they think “hot glow.” However, groundbreaking research in the field of ovarian health has shown that the ovary is much higher than a “reproductive organ”. Results of ovarian dysfunction – whether in early life in midlife through conditions such as PCOS (globally affecting women affecting women) or through menopause – in the early life – help explain why women are ill for more lives than men.The ovary acts as a “central command” of a woman’s health and vitality, which is important for every major system and function of her body. This menopause creates the largest accelerator of unhealthy aging for women, including heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, osteoporosis and the onset of the onset of cognitive decline.My research team in the Cellmatix Therapeutics supported by a prestigious ARPA-H Spark Award in 2024, is leading the therapeutic of success designed to expand the ovarian function in the modern lifetime.It is not about expanding fertility indefinitely. The age of eggs on its own biological timeline regardless of ovarian health. Instead, our task focuses on regulating the therapeutic ovarian folliculogenesis through drugs that target anti-mulerian hormones (AMH). Women are born with a finite number of ovarian follicles, and AMH acts as a molecular break, preventing this reserve from reducing very quickly. We can expand the ovarian work throughout the lifetime when women are not trying to conceive by revising these brakes strategically over the years.The implications are deep. Instead of accepting that menopause time is fixed, we are working towards a future where it becomes an alternative – where women can guess a healthy, active life with a fully working ovaries in their nineties. They will not escape only the middle age group; They will thrive.A blueprint for changeCoordinated action is required in many areas to address India’s menopause crisis:Healthcare system improvement: Ayushman integrate menopause care in existing programs like India and National Health Mission. Install special menopause clinics in urban centers and train primary healthcare workers to identify and manage menopause.Medical Education overhaul: Mandate widespread menopause training in medical syllabus. Develop continuous education programs for the practice of physicians, especially in gynecology and family medicine.Public Awareness Campaign: Start a national initiative to normalize menopause discussion. Use regional languages and culturally appropriate messages to reach a diverse population. Take advantage of popular media and community health workers to spread awareness.Workplace Adaptation: Encouraging employers to implement menopause -friendly policies, including flexible work arrangements, adequate healthcare coverage and awareness programs for managers and colleagues.Research Investment: Considering regional variations in fund studies, diet, lifestyles and genetics specific funds for Indian women’s menopause experiences. This research should inform the evidence-based treatment protocol.A global mandatoryIndia’s opportunity to lead this place is important. Although there has been an increase in awareness of menopause and media coverage in recent years, what I say to the “Empowerment” story trap, there is a risk of falling – women should suggest that women should feel proud of menopause rather than addressing horrific health effects. We do not celebrate osteoarthritis, tooth decay, cognitive decline, or heart failure, and we should not celebrate the failure of the ovarian.Economic implications are staggering. Women include 80% of homes globally home and professional healthcare providers and play an important role in the workforce. The results of untreated ovarian laxity through the entire economies, with more menopause women, more than ever in the workforce. When women thrive through better ovarian health, societies benefit.In particular for India, it represents both a challenge and an unprecedented opportunity. As the world’s largest population country of women entering menopause, India can lead an overworked model that benefits not only its own citizens, but women globally. The question is not whether the country can invest in this research – whether India cannot.Way forwardAs the age of India’s population and the life expectancy of women, menopause will affect an unprecedented number of women. We can either address it continuously or withstand the consequences of continuous neglect. The option reflects our commitment to women’s health and economic participation.Other countries provide valuable lessons. Australia’s national menopause guidelines and the UK workplace menopause policies show what is possible with political will and systematic changes. India has the opportunity to jump traditional outlooks and create an innovative solution for our unique reference.The second half of women’s life matters. Today, by investing in menopause care, India can unlock healthy, more productive futures for millions of women – and can strongly strengthen our society. Silence time has passed; Now is the time of action.
