Session on health equity for persons with disabilities at the World Health Summit

13 October 2024 14:00 – 15:30 CET
JW Marriott Hotel, Berlin, Germany

Health equity is a critical component of the sustainable development agenda and an essential element of countries’ path towards Universal Health Coverage. In the past decade, demographic, health and socioeconomic shifts, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have widened the gap between various groups of populations, leaving the most marginalized, such as persons with disabilities, experiencing the worst health inequities.

In this important session, global health actors will explore concrete actions to make health systems more inclusive of persons with disabilities and advance health equity to achieve health for all.

The objectives of this session are to:

  • Increase understanding of why disability inclusion is essential for advancing health equity by 2030 and beyond.
  • Share concrete solutions that can be applied by health ministries to bridge the health equity gap experienced by persons with disabilities.
  • Mobilize more commitments from the global health community to accelerate the movement for inclusive health. 

Speakers include:

  • Dr Jérôme Salomon (Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases, World Health Organization)
  • Mr Ismail Rumatila (Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Tanzania)
  • Dr R. Vensya Sitohang (Director of Productive and Elderly Age Health, Ministry of Health, Indonesia)
  • Hon María José Plaza (Former Member of Parliament, Ecuador)
  • Ms Haben Girma (Disability Rights Advocate & First Deafblind Graduate of Harvard Law School, USA)
  • Ms Hellen Anurika Beyioku-Alase (Executive Director, Deaf Women Aloud Initiative, Nigeria)
  • Mr Jarrod Clyne (Deputy Executive Director, International Disability Alliance, Switzerland)
  • Ms Rachel Veldkamp (Health Messenger, Special Olympics, Suriname)
  • Ms Natasha Smith (Australian Ambassador to Germany, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia)

This hybrid event will take place on 13 October 2024 at 14:00 – 15:30 CET.

International Sign Language will be provided and captioning available via livestream.