Welcome to the SAHELI website!  We are a consortium working to improve women’s health in India through evidence and action.

A resurgence of global efforts to improve women’s health converges around one theme: it remains unaddressed and understudied. While maternal health has achieved remarkable gains, women’s comprehensive health needs through the life course are yet to gain similar traction.

The SAHELI study was initiated to address evidence gaps around a critical women’s health issue in India: unnecessary use of hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus). SAHELI builds on decades of work by our team and many others, including clinicians, researchers, women’s groups and public health advocates. 

In India, at least 1 in 10 women have undergone hysterectomy by age 50, at a median age of 37—at least ten years before natural menopause. In some states, prevalence is up to 22% and at a younger age. Early hysterectomy can have severe consequences on women’s health through the life course. In response, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare introduced National Guidelines on Preventing Unnecessary Hysterectomy in 2023.