Caretaker health minister Daniëlle Jansen has launched a new plan aimed at improving knowledge about health conditions affecting women and ensuring that this knowledge is more widely shared.

The plan will receive €27.5 million in funding over the next five years, Jansen said in a briefing on Wednesday.

Some €15 million will be allocated to research into conditions specific to women and an additional €12.5 million will be spent on research related to pregnancy and childbirth.

The strategy, Jansen said, is expected to generate up to €7.6 billion in health and economic benefits annually by ensuring women receive timely, appropriate care and support.

In the past, most medical research was based on the male body, on the assumption that the findings could also be applied to women. However, scientists now know some illnesses – such as cardiovascular disease or migraine – manifest differently in women.

Jansen said that improving knowledge of women’s health would lead to greater well-being and reduce costs. For example, at present, it takes on average between seven and 12 years for women with endometriosis to receive a diagnosis.

“All those years without a diagnosis, that woman is experiencing health problems,” she said. “The costs lie in absenteeism, but also in healthcare, because no appropriate care has been provided during that time.”