Progress on women's health—lessons and opportunities for global cancer control

Impressive gains in the health of women, particularly the substantial reductions in maternal mortality, have been achieved since the launch of the Millennium Development Goals,1 yet the focus on reducing deaths associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and the post-partum period has undervalued the multiple roles women have in all societies beyond that of childbearing, including their many contributions to their families, communities, health systems, and economies.2 Maternal deaths also represent a decreasing fraction of women's overall disease burden, and the traditionally narrow interpretation of maternal health has led to a restrictive view of women's needs across their life cycle.