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Bridging the Health Gap for Persons with Disabilities – WHO Launches Disability Health Equity Initiative

The WHO’s Disability Health Equity initiative was unveiled on 10 June 2025, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York during the 18th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

Its aim: closing the avoidable health gaps between persons with disabilities and the broader population. This will be achieved by guiding governments, health institutions, and communities in addressing barriers to care, promoting inclusive policies, and strengthening data and research on disability and health.

The Initiative is built around four strategic pillars:

  • Build leadership on health equity among persons with disabilities: Organizations of persons with disabilities build knowledge and receive financial resources to advocate for health equity for persons with disabilities.
  • Elevate health equity for persons with disabilities as a political priority in health: Strengthen the recognition from political leaders that health inequities of persons with disabilities must be addressed to achieve health for all.
  • Create a disability inclusive health sector: National level actions to strengthen disability inclusion across the health system.
  • Establish robust indicators, evidence and monitoring: Global indicators and targets, evidence generation, systems for continuous monitoring of progress.

Additionally, it will operate with 4 key strategies of engagement: 

  • Stakeholders network – applications to join the stakeholders network opened in August 2025.
  • Country coordination and support
  • Private sector engagement
  • Technical guidance

These strategies of engagement will directly support Member States and other stakeholders in the achievement of the mission.

More information about the launch of the Disability Health Equity Initiative available here.

WHO Disability Health Equity Initiative website available here.