For the first time, researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine mapped the broad spectrum of health outcomes linked to sexual violence against children (SVAC) and intimate partner violence (IPV) among females in 204 countries and territories. (Photo: Gemini)
In 2023, over 1 billion people aged 15 and older were estimated to have experienced sexual assault during childhood and 608 million girls and women in this age group have endured physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner. Among all health risks for premature death and disability, intimate partner violence among women aged 15-49 and sexual violence against children ranked fourth and fifth respectively.
Sexual violence against children and intimate partner violence against women are two of the most devastating yet persistently underrecognised global health challenges and rank among the top risks for mortality and morbidity worldwide, according to research published in The Lancet on Tuesday.
For the first time, researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine mapped the broad spectrum of health outcomes linked to sexual violence against children (SVAC) and intimate partner violence (IPV) among females in 204 countries and territories.
The new analysis is part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study that provides refined prevalence estimates and reveals an attributable disease burden. According to the analysis these exposures together contributed to more than 50 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally—32.2 million from SVAC and 18.5 million from IPV. DALYs represent the total years of healthy life lost due to both premature mortality and years lived with disability.
These risks were shown to be especially devastating for young and middle-aged individuals. Among women aged 15-49 years, IPV and SVAC ranked as the fourth and fifth leading risk factors for loss of healthy life globally, outranking many well-known threats such as high fasting plasma glucose or elevated blood pressure, and close in ranking to iron deficiency (ranked second), a longstanding focus of women’s health interventions. SVAC was linked to 14 conditions, while IPV was associated with eight negative health outcomes. “These findings fundamentally challenge the persistent view of SVAC and IPV as primarily social or criminal justice issues and underscore their status as major public health priorities,” Dr Luisa Sorio Flor, lead author and assistant professor at IHME said.
According to the analysis, in India in 1990, there were 32,800 deaths attributable to sexual violence against children and 21,300 deaths attributable to intimate partner violence. In 2023, there were 71,600 deaths attributable to sexual violence against children and 30,100 deaths attributable to intimate partner violence.
When contacted, Tanuja Babre, mental health expert (not associated with the study), told The Indian Express that Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Against Children remain among India’s urgent and least-addressed public health crises. As per the NFHS-5 approximately 29.3 percent of women aged 18-49 have experienced physical or sexual violence by their husband. NFHS-5 showed that nearly one in three women has experienced spousal violence and yet more than three-quarters never seek help.
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“We do not have updated national data and yet every day violence is driving anxiety, depression and self-harm among women and children. Long term consequences include anxiety, depression, suicide risk, chronic illness and reduced life expectancy,” Babre said, adding that violence is not only a protection issue. “It is a mental-health crisis and India needs to treat it with that level of urgency,” Babre said.
Dr Rakhi Dandona,Director, Public Health Foundation of IndiaI Injury Prevention Research Centre told The Indian Express that to address intimate partner violence in India, we must take a whole-of-society view. Deeper insights and action are needed into where violence-supportive norms sit in our communities, and how public and institutional systems may be reinforcing them. Meaningful progress will require addressing gender inequality within our patriarchal social structures. ”We also need stronger and more relevant measurement of IPV, developed in partnership with people with lived experience of violence, to design interventions that are truly effective, feasible, and aligned with the realities survivors face,”she said.
Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues .
Professional Background
Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature.
Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO.
Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives.
Awards and Recognition
Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.”
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care
"Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.
Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose.
2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series)
Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs.
"For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune.
3. Lifestyle & Wellness News
"They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions.
At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents.
4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure
For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics.
Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far.
Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership
Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions.
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