The World Health Organization Disability Equity Health Network was launched today (Wednesday 12th November, 2025) at WHO in Geneva. The WHO team leading the Network are Dr Darryl Barrett, Dr Kaloyan Kamenov, Dr Mélanie Gréaux and Dr Francesca Moro https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2025/11/12/default-calendar/inaugural-meeting-of-the-who-disability-health-equity-network
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| WHO Disability Programme team: Dr Kaloyan Kamenov, Dr Francesca Moro, Dr Mélanie Gréaux, Dr Darryl Bennett |
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| Members of the WHO Disability Equity Health Network in Geneva |
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| Dr Mélanie Gréaux (WHO Disability Programme), Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod (CSU), Dr Kaloyan Kamenov (WHO Disability Programme) |
The Health equity for persons with disabilities: guide for action (or Disability inclusion guide for action) provides practical guidance on the process that ministries of health should lead on to integrate disability inclusion into health systems governance, planning, and monitoring processes. It serves as the foundational resource to enable ministries of health and partners to implement the recommendations of the Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities. In line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Disability inclusion guide for action supports Member States to meet commitments to "leave no one behind" and achieve the highest attainable standard of health for all people. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/B09201 ; https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240101517
The Executive Board room at WHO has only just opened after 3 years of renovations - so it was very special to have the launch held in this auspicious room.
It was an honour to represent Charles Sturt University at this meeting - and as one of the 152 approved members.
WHO Disability Equity Health Network Membership: 1,095 expressions of interest, 270 completed applications, 152 approved members (31 member states, 13 intergovernmental organizations, 72 members of civil society, 32 academia, 4 private sector). 67 members attended the meeting in Geneva, with others online.
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| Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod described the work of the Children's Voices Centre during the launch |
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| Sharynne with WHO Disability Program Director, Dr Darryl Barrett |
Dr Kaloyan Kamenov described the journey so far:
- 2001 - International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)
- 2006 - Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
- 2007 - ICF-CY
- 2011 - World Report on Disability (WRD)
- 2014 - WHO Global Disability Action Plan
- 2015 - Sustainable Development Goals (with 11 SDGs mentioning "leave no one behind")
- 2021 - WHO statement
- 2022 - Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities
- 2025 - Launch of the Disability Health Equity Network in Geneva
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| Australians at the WHO meeting - Prof Scott Avery (Professor of Indigenous disability health and wellbeing, UTS), Sharynne, Anna Maalsen (Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria) |
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| Sharynne with Renée De Jong (Save the Children, Geneva/Australia) |
Some ideas
- World Hearing Forum (Carolina Der Mussa) - Showcasing changemakers = "people with disability who show us and change us"
- SPECS - Have vision stories - https://www.who.int/teams/noncommunicable-diseases/sensory-functions-disability-and-rehabilitation/eye-care-vision-impairment-and-blindness/have-vision
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| WHO Reception |
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| Swiss cheese at the reception on a WHO plate |
