Amplifying Leadership of Persons with Disabilities for an Inclusive Future
On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the WHO South-East Asia Region calls for amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities to foster an inclusive and sustainable future.
Empowering Persons with Disabilities
Over 1.3 billion people globally live with disabilities, facing barriers in healthcare and humanitarian crises. WHO Regional Director, Saima Wazed, emphasizes the need to empower persons with disabilities and ensure their active participation in all sectors.
Disability Inclusion in Healthcare
People with disabilities experience widespread discrimination in healthcare. They are three times more likely to be denied healthcare and four times more likely to be mistreated within healthcare systems. WHO is committed to integrating disability perspectives into all aspects of its work, including healthcare.
Engaging Persons with Disabilities in Policy Development
Wazed highlights the importance of engaging persons with disabilities in the development of health policies and services. "We need to ensure that disability inclusion is part of the fabric of everything we do," she states.
WHO's Initiatives for Inclusion
WHO has strengthened its internal policies to promote the involvement of persons with disabilities across all its operations. The SEARO CARE program focuses on the health and wellbeing of staff and their family members with disabilities, while the ROADMAP for equity and inclusion outlines specific steps to integrate disability inclusion into emergency settings.
Building Capacity and Addressing Health Needs
WHO is building the capacity of its programs to address disability inclusion more effectively. Wazed emphasizes that inclusion must encompass a wider range of health needs, including mental health and psychosocial support.
Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities
A Guide for Action," a national health planning tool to help ministries of health integrate disability-inclusive actions into their broader health systems.
Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities
1. Health equity for persons with disabilities should be central to any health sector action.
2. Persons with disabilities and their representative organisations must be actively involved in planning and implementing health actions.
3. It is crucial to monitor and evaluate the impact of health sector actions to ensure that they lead to genuine health equity for persons with disabilities.
Conclusion
WHO South-East Asia Region reaffirms its commitment to leaving no one behind and promoting leadership for an inclusive and sustainable future. "Let us address the health inequities that persons with disabilities experience," concludes Wazed.