Global Report on Health Equity 

Why in News?

•  International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3rd December), the World Health Organization (WHO) has recently released a report titled- Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities

Highlights

• Currently, some 1.3 billion people, or one in six, worldwide suffer from major disabilities.
• Because of the systemic and persistent health inequities, many persons with disabilities face the risk of dying much earlier—even up to 20 years earlier—than persons without disabilities.
• An estimated 80 % of people with disabilities reside in low- and middle-income countries with limited resources, making it difficult to address these inequities.
• They are at a two-fold risk of contracting chronic illnesses like asthma, depression, diabetes, obesity, dental disorders and stroke.
• Many of the discrepancies in health outcomes cannot be attributed to underlying health conditions but rather to preventable, unfair and unjust circumstances.
• Hostile attitudes of healthcare providers. Non-comprehensible health information formats
• Physical barriers, lack of transportation, or financial constraints that prevent access to a health center. It is crucial to ensure that people with disabilities participate fully and effectively in all facets of society and to instil inclusion, accessibility and non-discrimination in the medical field. 
• Health systems should be alleviating the challenges that people with disabilities face, not adding to them. Ensuring health equity for persons with disabilities will also have wider benefits and can advance global health priorities in 3 ways:
• Health equity for all is critical towards achieving universal health coverage;
• Inclusive public health interventions that are administered equitably across different sectors can contribute to healthier populations; and
• Advancing health equity for persons with disabilities is a central component in all efforts to protect everyone in health emergencies.
• Governments, health partners and civil society should ensure all health sector actions are inclusive of persons with disabilities so that they can enjoy their right to the highest standard of health