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A new report from the World Health Organization shows that compared to others in society, many people with disabilities are at higher risk of premature death and disease.
of International Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities Published today Due to systemic and persistent health inequities, many people with disabilities are at risk of dying much earlier than non-disabled people – even up to 20 years earlier.
They are twice as likely to develop asthma, depression, diabetes, obesity, oral diseases and stroke. Many of the disparities in health outcomes cannot be explained by underlying health conditions or impairments, but by avoidable, inequitable, and inequitable factors.
The report, released ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, shows that the number of people with disabilities in the world has reached 1.3 billion (or 1 in 6 people). This number It reinforces the importance of achieving full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in all sectors of society and incorporating the principles of inclusion, accessibility and non-discrimination in the health sector.
Unfair Factors: A Key Cause of Inequalities in Health
The report emphasizes the need for urgent action to address the widespread inequities in health caused by inequities and inequities in health systems. These factors account for most of the differences in health outcomes between people with disabilities and people with other disabilities:
- negative attitudes of health care providers;
- Health information in unintelligible formats or
- Difficulties accessing health facilities due to physical location, lack of transportation, or financial constraints.
“Health systems should reduce the challenges faced by people with disabilities, not add to them,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Theodore Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “This report highlights the injustices that people with disabilities face when trying to get the care they need. WHO is committed to supporting countries with guidelines and tools to ensure that all persons with disabilities have access to quality health care.
Because an estimated 80% of people with disabilities live in low- and middle-income countries with limited access to health care, addressing health inequities can be challenging. But even with limited resources, much can be accomplished.
Opportunities in the health sector that includes people with disabilities
Recognizing that everyone has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, the report provides an important economic analysis of adopting a disability-inclusive approach. Investing in a disability-inclusive health sector has proven to be cost-effective.
The World Health Organization calculates that governments can expect a return of US$10 for every US$1 they spend on noncommunicable disease prevention and care for disabled people. Additionally, family planning and vaccination are cost-effective when implemented in a disability-inclusive manner.
Targeted and general measures in the health sector
The report outlines 40 actions governments should take in the health sector, including the latest evidence from academic research and consultation with countries and civil society organizations representing people with disabilities. These actions vary in terms of resources and range from addressing physical infrastructure to training health and care workers.
Ensuring health equity for people with disabilities has broader benefits.
- Health equity for all is critical to achieving universal health coverage.
- Comprehensive public health interventions administered equitably across multiple sectors contribute to a healthy population. And
- Promoting health equity for people with disabilities is an integral part of all efforts to protect everyone in health emergencies.
“Tackling health inequities for people with disabilities benefits everyone,” said Dr. Bente Mikkelsen, Director of Noncommunicable Diseases at the World Health Organization. “Older people, people with non-communicable diseases, refugees and migrants, or other underserved populations can use methods that target persistent challenges to include disability in the health sector.”
He added, “We urge the government, health partners and civil society to ensure that all health sector activities include persons with disabilities and that their right to a high level of health be respected.”
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Note to editors
To watch the launch event on Friday 2 December from 14:00 to 15:30 CET/Geneva Timeplease register on https://who.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S8sIa08GQS-mbkuwQuGGMA.
Under international human rights law and the domestic laws of many countries, governments have an obligation to address health inequities so that persons with disabilities have an equal right to attain the highest standards of health.
of Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesIt has 185 parties and commits countries to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to the same amount, quality and affordability of health services as others.
WHO is working with Member States, international partners, persons with disabilities and health actors, including representative organizations of persons with disabilities, to translate the recommendations set out in this report into countries. This includes the development of an Action Guide for Inclusion of Disability in the Health Sector, a national strategic planning tool to help countries make the changes needed to achieve health equity for people with disabilities.
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