Medicine's good, bad and sexy

Malta has ranked 83rd in a global gender gap report by the World Economic Forum, which looked at economic participation and opportunities for women, political empowerment and health.

The report places the island behind countries like Ghana and Malawi, where being a female cannot be said to be fun!

Yemen is the worst country to be in, ranking 130th, according to the report, but Malta comes close on the issue of female participation in the labour market in 110th position.

Malta's global ranking on equality has taken a nosedive three years in a row now, and Pink magazine, which is distributed with The Times tomorrow, comments on the findings of the report.

More figures show that dementia may affect one per cent of the population but it also has consequences for 60 per cent of carers, who end up developing depression and other mental diseases.

And the strain on those taking care of patients with the debilitating brain disease is expected to increase as sufferers are estimated to double in the next 25 years.

Nevertheless, Malta remains one of only three EU countries that does not provide financial support for the families, with medicines costing up to 25 per cent of patients' monthly incomes.

Pink goes beyond the statistics to the heart of the matter, meeting women who have had to watch their mothers' beautiful minds deteriorate in a disturbing way.

At first glance, their stories could appear comical, or crazy at best - adults putting on their clothes before their underwear; hanging dirty linen on the washing line; failing to recognise their long-time husbands and, more dangerously, burning their money in an oven or running away and getting lost in Marsa.

But helplessly watching the strong and social women they admired so much becoming a mere shadow of their former selves is heartbreaking and they openly share their stories of coping in Pink's PrivateEye section.

More statistics inspire more stories: over 400 babies have been born through assisted procreation in Malta and the success rate stands at 35 per cent. That is one side of the coin. On the other are those couples who have failed after attempting to beat nature and have a child. Pink's InFocus sections speaks to parents who have managed and those who have had to give in, while mapping out where IVF stands in Malta from the medical, legal and religious points of view.

But medicine can also have a sexy twist - it comes in the form of Addison Montgomery-Shepherd, who has seen her success skyrocket with her role in the popular TV series Grey's Anatomy.

Pink has a tête-à-tête with actress Kate Walsh.

All that and much more awaits readers in tomorrow's Pink, a monthly magazine, published by Allied Newspapers Ltd, printed by Progress Press Ltd, produced by MediaMaker and designed by Helen Cassar Torreggiani and Joseph Schembri.