WHO Disability Health Equity Initiative
Network
The WHO Disability Health Equity Network is a WHO-hosted network of stakeholders whose mission is to support the WHO Disability Health Equity Initiative through coordinated advocacy and united action towards health equity for persons with disabilities.
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Join our Network
Application deadline: 30 September 2025
Please review the information below, including on the eligibility criteria, before submitting an application.
Objectives
The primary objectives of the WHO Disability Health Equity Network are to:
- Convey stakeholders engaged in disability and health under a common understanding and narrative of the evidence-based changes required to achieve the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities.
- Conduct evidence-based advocacy that increases awareness on health inequities experienced by persons with disabilities and on the actions needed to address them.
- Enhance dialogue, knowledge sharing, and connections, as appropriate, among Network members for action towards health equity for persons with disabilities.
Why join?
The WHO Disability Health Equity Network provides an opportunity for your entity to connect, share knowledge and learn with other stakeholders in the sector. As part of the Network, your entity will contribute to raising the profile of health equity for persons with disabilities at global, regional, national, and local levels, and support WHO in its efforts to reduce health inequities for persons with disabilities through advocacy and united action.
Members' role
All members must:
- Adhere to the Terms of reference of the Network;
- Actively participate in and support WHO Disability Health Equity Network, its purpose, goals, objectives, guiding principles, work and activities;
- Participate at WHO Disability Health Equity Network biennial and ad hoc meetings;
- Make meaningful contributions, in connection with the work and activities of the various Network workstreams;
- Act in the best interest of public health in alignment with WHO policies.
Eligibility criteria
Eligible entities are:
- Member States;
- Intergovernmental organizations;
- Nongovernmental organizations (including civil society groups);
- Organizations of persons with disabilities;
- Academic institutions;
- Philanthropic foundations;
- Private sector entities (including international business associations).
Individuals are not eligible to apply for membership.
To be eligible for membership, the entity should:
- Contribute significantly to the advancement of health equity, disability and/or public health and to the objectives, vision and goal of the Network;
- Be actively and internationally working in the field of disability, health equity and/or public health in more than one country, with proven experience and expertise in the subject matter for at least 3 years;
- Have an established structure, constitutive act, and accountability mechanism.
Member States are eligible to apply regardless of these criteria.
Workstreams
The Network will operate through 4 workstreams:
1. Build leadership on health equity among persons with disabilities
This workstream is intended to strengthen leadership and advocacy capacities among persons with disabilities and their representative organizations (OPDs) in the area of health equity.
2. Elevate health equity for persons with disabilities as a political priority in health
This workstream aims to elevate the political prioritization of health equity for persons with disabilities in the global health sector to ensure stronger recognition by political leaders, a more prominent place in the global health agenda, and increased commitments from all key stakeholders.
3. Create a disability inclusive health sector
This workstream will focus on integrating disability inclusion into national health system strengthening reforms, in alignment with the recommended actions of the WHO Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities.
4. Establish robust indicators, evidence and monitoring
This workstream will have particular focus on data, evidence and research. The workstream will work towards influencing Member States to adopt global indicators on health equity for persons with disabilities, better quality data on disability, and more funding for implementation research.
Functions
Workstreams will enable the collective work on specific activities that align with the Network ’s overall mission and objectives. Each workstream will have an area of focus with corresponding workplan, that is approved by the Steering Committee, which outlines its objectives, key outputs, priorities and methodology.
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Format
The terms of reference and workplans with concrete objectives, activities, outcomes, monitoring indicators and timeline will be defined for each workstream at an inaugural meeting of the Network. They will be defined by the Chair, co-chair and workstream members.
Each workstream is of a 2-year tenure, with the possibility of extension, subject to approval by the Steering Committee.
Expectations
All members of the Network may participate in one or more workstreams. They will virtually meet once quarterly with other members of the workstreams, and biennially with all Network members. Network meetings and communications will be conducted in English and sign-language (where appropriate).
A Chair and co-Chair will be appointed in each workstream by the WHO Secretariat, and will be responsible for coordinating workstream meetings and activities, facilitating communication with the group, and providing reports of progress to the Secretariat and Steering Committee.
Membership applications
Preparation
Before starting a submission, please read the Terms of reference and prepare the following documents to be uploaded: *
- Legal status such as by-laws or constitution;
- Governance structure;
- Certificate of establishment;
- List of names and affiliations of the members of main decision-making bodies such as Board or Executive Board;
- Sources of funding (list of donors and sponsors, individual or collective, who donated over USD$ 49,999.99 in the last 3 years);
- Report of activities in the field of disability, health equity and/or public health for the last three years (e.g., annual report).
* You do not need to provide these documents if you are a Member State, an intergovernmental organization (such as a UN agency), a non-State actor in official relations with WHO, or a WHO Collaborating centre.
* If the original documents are not in English, you will be asked to provide both the original version and a translation in English.
Submission
The membership application process is open until 30 September 2025. Only applications submitted by this date will be considered for intake in 2025. A second window for applications will be open in 2026.
Access the PDF version of the application form, should you wish to review the questions before completing the online form.
Applications can also be sent via email at disability@who.int.
Review
Membership approval is based on an assessment, due diligence process, and review of information, according to the eligibility criteria and WHO rules and policies.
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