International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022

The number of people who experience significant disability is growing driven by increased number of people with noncommunicable diseases, who are also living longer and ageing with limitations in functioning.

Persons with disabilities around the world experience health inequities – they die earlier, have poorer health and experience more limitations in everyday functioning than the rest of the population. These inequities are the result of unjust and unfair conditions they face, including stigma and discrimination, poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and barriers in the health system.

Innovative and transformative approaches to inclusive development means doing things differently in the health sector. We will not effectively address global health priorities or achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 unless health equity for persons with disabilities at the centre of our efforts. The WHO Global Report in Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities sets forth the approaches and actions that countries can take to address these inequities.

Key facts

• An estimated 1.3 billion people – or 1 in 6 people worldwide – experience significant disability.
• Some persons with disabilities die up to 20 years earlier than those without disabilities.
• Persons with disabilities have twice the risk of developing conditions such as depression, asthma, diabetes, stroke, obesity or poor oral health.
• Inaccessible health facilities are up to 6 times more difficult for persons with disabilities.
• Persons with disabilities find inaccessible and unaffordable transportation 15 times more difficult than for those without disabilities.
• Health inequities arise from unfair conditions faced by persons with disabilities, including stigma, discrimination, poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and barriers faced in the health system itself.

Factors contributing to health inequities

Health inequities arise from unfair conditions faced by persons with disabilities.

Structural factors: Persons with disabilities experience ableism, stigma and discrimination in all facets of life, which affects their physical and mental health. Laws and policies may deny them the right to make their own decisions and allow a range of harmful practices in the health sector, such as forced sterilization, involuntary admission and treatment, and even institutionalization.

Social determinants of health: Poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and poor living conditions all add to the risk of poor health and unmet health care needs among persons with disabilities. Gaps in formal social support mechanisms mean that persons with disabilities are reliant on support from family members to engage in health and community activities, which not only disadvantages them but also their caregivers (who are mostly women and girls).

Risk factors: Persons with disabilities are more likely to have risk factors for non-communicable diseases, such as smoking, poor diet, alcohol consumption and a lack of physical activity. A key reason for this is that they are often left out of public health interventions.

Health system: Persons with disabilities face barriers in all aspects of the health system. For example, a lack of knowledge, negative attitudes and discriminatory practices among healthcare workers; inaccessible health facilities and information; and lack of information or data collection and analysis on disability, all contribute to health inequities faced by this group.

Achieving health for all

Disability inclusion is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and global health priorities to achieve health for all.

Universal health coverage will not be achieved if persons with disabilities do not receive quality health services on an equal basis with others. Investing in universal health coverage for persons with disabilities will benefit not only individuals but also communities.

There could be almost an US$ 10 return for every US$ 1 spent on implementing disability inclusive prevention and care for noncommunicable diseases.

Persons with disabilities must be considered when preventing and responding to health emergencies because they are more likely to be affected, both directly and indirectly. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, persons with disabilities living in institutions have been “cut off from the rest of society” with reports of residents being overmedicated, sedated, or locked up, and examples of self-harm also occurring .

In the COVID-19 pandemic, there are higher mortality rates among persons with intellectual disabilities , who are also less likely to receive intensive care services .

Promoting healthier populations through clean air and water, road safety, child nutrition and addressing violence against women will only be achieved if public health interventions for the wider population consider the needs, skills and capacities of persons with disabilities.

Women with disabilities being 2–4 times more likely to experience intimate partner violence than those without disabilities .

The WHO Report on health equity for persons with disabilities outlines 40 key actions for countries to take to strengthen their health systems and reduce health inequities for persons with disabilities. There are three things that all governments and health sector partners can do. First, they must consider health equity for persons with disabilities in all health sector actions. Second, they can include persons with disabilities in decision-making processes. Third, they can monitor how persons with disabilities are being reached and benefitting from health sector actions.

Doing nothing to address health inequities for persons with disabilities means denying the realization of the universal right to the highest attainable standard of health.

WHO is committed to addressing the health inequities faced by persons with disabilities through innovative and transformative approaches to health systems strengthening.

Regardless of context and resources, all governments and health sector partners need to commit to three principles:

• Firstly, to include health equity for persons with disabilities at the center of health sector actions.
• Secondly, to empower and include persons with disabilities in health sector actions.
• And thirdly, to monitor the impact of health sector actions on persons with disabilities.

Acting to achieve health equity for persons with disabilities is acting to achieve Health for All.