Together with other Women's Health Services across the state, Women's Health Loddon Mallee is calling for significant investment in primary prevention for women's health this state election.

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They have advised the State Government that failing to address increasing illness in Victorian women through health promotion and primary prevention will cost the state considerably.

WHLM chief executive Tricia Currie said the level of funding provided for women's health and wellbeing promotion and prevention activities needs to increase to $4.35 per women in metropolitan regions and $5.60 per women in rural and remote Victoria.

The current funding allocated to is $2.07 per woman.

"Women must not be invisible in COVID-19 recovery and public health investment," Ms Currie said.

"In addition to high quality vaccination programs, we need investment to engage communities directly to build their resilience."

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WHLM also has raised concerns about the impact of increased mental, physical, and financial load for women in the region as a result of the ongoing challenges of COVID-19.

WHLM said that the effects of the pandemic were being felt across health services, with women in the Loddon Mallee Region putting off their own health needs, including vital cancer screenings, as the demands on their daily lives continue to grow.

They said investment in women's health had also dropped dramatically.

Ms Currie said women had continued to disproportionately shoulder the burden of the pandemic.

"We are now hearing reports of women who face ever-increasing levels of anxiety and stress in our community," she said.

Ms Currie said that some of the concerns that women are currently facing are lack of access to rapid antigen tests and N95 masks, supermarket shortages, and concerns about the safety of their children and families with the return to school.

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"These are just some of the issues exacerbating already alarming levels of poor mental health for in women in our region," she said.

"On top of this, our public health system is asking everyday communities to manage epidemiological risk without having access to clear and consistent information and resources.

"These COVID-19-related challenges have been particularly hard on women, who are most likely to carry the burden of increased household demands, including caring for unwell family members and managing increased levels of anxiety in children."

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