Disability

Disability is part of being human. Almost everyone will temporarily or permanently experience disability at some point in their life. Over one billion people – about 15% of the global population – live with some form of disability and this number is increasing.

Disability results from the interaction between individuals with a health condition such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome and depression as well as personal and environmental factors including negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and public buildings, and limited social support.

People with disability experience poorer health outcomes, have less access to education and work opportunities, and are more likely to live in poverty than those without a disability. 

Very often people with disability do not receive the healthcare services they need. Evidence shows that half of people with disability cannot afford healthcare. People with disability are also more than twice as likely to find healthcare providers' skills inadequate.

Great progress has been made to make the world more accessible for people living with disability but much more work is required to meet their needs.

WHO works to fully integrate and promote disability inclusion in the health sector. It works to ensure people with disability:

1. have equitable access to effective health services;
2. are included in health emergencies preparedness and responses; and,
3. can access cross-sectorial public health interventions to achieve the highest attainable standard of health.

WHO is launching its Policy on Disability and an action plan for its implementation. These documents will serve as the agenda for implementing the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy across WHO which will ensure disability inclusion is consistently and systematically integrated into all aspects of WHO’s operational and programmatic work.