International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025
Nutrition consultation for a girl with cerebral palsy in Tanzania
Every year, on 3 December, the world marks international day of persons with disabilities. In 2025, WHO focuses on how inclusive financing can make a real difference to the lives, health and well-being of persons with disabilities, their families and society at large.
Health financing matters
There are 1.3 billion persons with disabilities in world, which means that achieving health for all must fundamentally address the needs of persons with disabilities. Yet, health care remains out of reach when health financing systems fail to consider and include people's needs. From catastrophic out-of-pocket costs for essential services to the lack of coverage for treatments or medical devices, these gaps can push families into poverty and exclusion.
Inclusive health financing is an essential part of building sustainable health systems that cater to the needs of populations. When countries design financing systems that consider accessibility, affordability, and equity, they strengthen health systems for everyone.
A call to action
Governments and partners must take the following actions to advance disability inclusion in their health financing strategies:
- Adopt progressive universalism as a core principle of health financing.
- Consult with persons with disabilities when reforming health financing strategies.
- Target the specific needs and health conditions of persons with disabilities in packages of care.
- Include the costs of making facilities and services accessible into budgets.
- Collect and use disability-disaggregated data to guide equitable resource allocation.
Resources
Publication
Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities
Health topic
Fact sheet
Initiative
