Bridging the Disability Inclusion Gap: How Health Systems Exclude 1 in 6 People, and What We Can Do About it

The fight against non-communicable and communicable diseases - including HIV, Tuberculosis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression – is failing to reach 1.3 billion persons with disabilities worldwide, creating dangerous gaps in elimination efforts. With persons with disabilities facing up to double the risk of developing a range of health conditions and dying up to 20 years earlier than the rest of the population, this is not just a moral failure; it is a systemic risk to global health goals.

Avoidable barriers in health systems drive stark inequities – like 45% gaps in diabetes care, 33% in cancer screening, and 14% in child immunization for persons with disabilities. Women and girls with disabilities face even greater barriers; they are 3 times more likely to have unmet health needs, including sexual and reproductive health care. Without urgent investment to close these gaps, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets will fail.

Working closely with partners, the World Health Organization has launched a bold new initiative to catalyze united action across several areas – bridging the divide between health and disability communities to achieve real health equity for persons with disabilities. The initiative mobilizes governments, United Nations agencies, civil society, organizations of persons with disabilities, academia and philanthropy to close the avoidable health gaps facing persons with disabilities.

This interactive session invites global health leaders to learn about championing disability inclusion within their work – because equitable health systems are fundamental to achieving UHC and the SDG 3.