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3 December is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. On this Day, WHO joins partners around the world to call for action to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) for, with, and by persons with disabilities.
More than 1.3 billion people experience significant disability today, which represents 16% of the global population. Many persons with disabilities die earlier, are at increased risk of developing a range of health conditions, and experience more limitations in everyday functioning than the rest of the population. We call these poorer health outcomes “health inequities” because they are largely avoidable and driven by unjust factors within and beyond the health sector. These factors include, for example, discrimination in our societies, inequitable policies, the determinants of health, lack of access or quality of care, and negative attitudes of health workers – to name a few. These health inequities are a stark reminder that persons with disabilities are too often left behind, and that achieving good health and well-being for all (SDG3) requires the meaningful participation and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Achieving the SDGs for, with, and by persons with disabilities is now, more than ever, within our reach, so long as we are united. In 2019, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched the Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) to bring disability inclusion in every work and core functions of the entire UN system. The UNDIS has given us the tools to initiate a bold systemic transformation, and is driving unprecedented progress for, with, and by persons with disabilities around the world. These achievements are remarkable demonstrations of the value of systemic planning for disability inclusion, a cause for celebration, and a source of aspiration to pursue these efforts.
Key facts
- An estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability. This represents 16% of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 of us.
- 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.
- Persons with disabilities face many health inequities.
- 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.
Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities
