The Women’s Health Action Plan 2026-2027 represents this Government’s commitment to continuing to improve health outcomes and experiences for women and girls in Ireland as outlined in the Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future. Beginning with the establishment of the Women’s Health Taskforce in 2019, over €180 million of additional funding has been invested in women’s health since 2020, supporting two previous Action Plans. This third phase of the Women’s Health Action Plan seeks to build on progress and further promote women’s health in Ireland. This Plan will further embed key women’s health initiatives which have been delivered in recent years, while supporting new initiatives and targeted measures that women, the Minister for Health, clinicians, the Women’s Health Taskforce and stakeholders recognise as priorities. The Plan will continue to take a “Lifecourse Approach” focusing on the changing health care needs of women and girls across their lives, with women’s voices continuing to be central to this work. Listening to women is an essential foundation for delivering the best possible outcomes for women’s health.

In addition to continued listening, this plan has a strong focus on awareness and research. Awareness enables women and healthcare professionals to recognise symptoms early, allowing for timely medical intervention and treatment. Knowing about health risks and taking adequate preventative measures can significantly reduce the incidence of diseases. Education, awareness and a preventative approach can lead to better health outcomes across the lifecourse. Addressing historical biases in women’s health research is crucial for further medical advancements and innovation. Symptoms and risks of diseases can affect women differently to men, for example in cardiovascular health and autoimmune diseases. Underfunding in women-specific health research has led to a gender gap in knowledge and treatment. The exclusion of women from clinical trials until the early 1990s has contributed to gaps in our knowledge of how treatments and medication affect women differently to men. Women specific health events including pregnancy, menstrual health and conditions such as endometriosis also require further research and understanding. The Women’s Health Action Plan Phase 3: 2026-2027 will continue to progress the Department of Health’s core programmes, reforms and strategies for Women’s Health and through this focused approach will accelerate the delivery of further health services and supports for better health outcomes for women and girls in Ireland.

P.28 Action 6 - We will improve the experiences of marginalised groups of women through initiatives that promote social inclusion, social connectedness and equity.
6E We will mainstream gender-sensitive responses and interventions for women who use drugs through the National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029 and involve women with lived and living experience in the planning and delivery of drug and alcohol services.