Tonight A/Prof Kate Crowe and I had a fantastic meeting with Dr Kaloyan Kamenov and Dr Mélanie Gréaux from the WHO Disability team in Geneva. They have invited us to collaborate with them on projects relating to factors that contribute to health inequity for people (children) with disability.
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| Dr Mélanie Gréaux (WHO), Dr Kaloyan Kamenov (WHO), A/Prof Kate Crowe, Prof Sharynne McLeod |
There are 40 actions within the Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disability https://www.who.int/teams/noncommunicable-diseases/sensory-functions-disability-and-rehabilitation/global-report-on-health-equity-for-persons-with-disabilities Of the 10 strategic entry points, we identified that # 3 is particularly related to our work at CSU, and we also have expertise in 7, 9, and 10:
1. Political commitment, leadership, and governance;
2. Health financing;
3. Engagement of communities and other stakeholders;
4. Models of care;
5. Health and care workforce;
6. Physical infrastructure;
7. Digital technologies for health;
8. Systems for improving the quality of care;
9. Monitoring and evaluation;
10. Health policy and systems research
The 74th World Health Assembly recommended "progress on disability inclusion in the health sector towards 2030" https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA74/A74_R8-en.pdf
Here are some of the rationales for this work:
"...Recognizing also the need to include the experiences and perspectives of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in all issues, including by taking steps to ensure and actively facilitate their meaningful participation in programmes, policy and decision making processes;
Noting that globally one in seven persons experience some form of disability and that this number continues to increase owing to many underlying factors such as population ageing and the rise in the prevalence of chronic health conditions;
Noting also the persisting attitudinal, institutional and environmental barriers, including discriminatory attitudes towards disability and inaccessible communities..." https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA74/A74_R8-en.pdf
Here is the rationale underpinning the request
"INVITES international organizations and other relevant stakeholders, including intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, private sector companies, academia and, in particular, organizations of persons with disabilities:
(1) to collaborate with Member States in respecting, protecting and fulfilling the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health of persons with disabilities;
(2) to forge partnerships and alliances that mobilize and share knowledge and best practices on disability inclusion;
(3) to amplify the voices of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, and raise awareness of the rights, capabilities and contributions of persons with disabilities;
(4) to include persons with disabilities in health research so that they benefit from its outcomes and products" https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA74/A74_R8-en.pdf
Here is a paper that has informed this work:
Gréaux, M., Moro, M. F., Kamenov, K., Russell, A. M., Barrett, D., & Cieza, A. (2023). Health equity for persons with disabilities: A global scoping review on barriers and interventions in healthcare services. International Journal for Equity in Health, 22(1), 236. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-02035-w
We are excited about partnering with WHO in this important work.
