Visiting Dr Margaret Kehoe and the University of Geneva

While in Geneva I had the opportunity to spend the day with my friend and colleague Dr Margaret Kehoe-Winkler. Margaret and I used to work together at The University of Sydney (~1989-1991). Margaret has lived and worked in Geneva for a long time - so was able to show us the University and other interesting parts of Geneva. The university was holding their graduation ceremony when we visited - so we were able to clap for Margaret's research assistant as she received her degree. The 2-year speech pathology program has just over 30 Masters' students per intake. Margaret recently retired, but is continuing with some of her research. I am grateful for her work that informed her chapter on Children's development of Swiss French for The Oxford Handbook of Speech Development in Languages of the World.

University of Geneva - Uni Mail

Graduation at the University of Geneva

Sharynne  and Margaret enjoying lunch by Lake Geneva

Lake Geneva

Geneva - home of the Reformation, Piaget, Rousseau, watches, chocolate, cheese, and so much more

Reformation Wall - John Calvin, William Farel, Théodore de Bèze and John Knox

Piaget

Lake Geneva

Visiting the United Nations

Today I had the opportunity to visit the United Nations. Originating alongside the League of Nations that was formed after World War I, the United Nations has had a fundamental role to play in shaping the modern world. While the United Nations Head Office is in New York, the Geneva Office holds many important meetings and roles.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) are some of the important documents from the United Nations that inform my work every day.

The view from the UN

World Health Organization Disability Equity Health Network launch in Geneva

 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

WHO Disability Programme team: Dr Kaloyan Kamenov, Dr Francesca Moro, Dr Mélanie Gréaux, Dr Darryl Bennett

Members of the WHO Disability Equity Health Network in Geneva

 

 

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. 

Distinguished Professor Sharynne  McLeod described the work of the Children's Voices Centre during the launch

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

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)

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 

WHO Reception 

Swiss cheese at the reception on a WHO plate

Meeting with WHO Disability

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. 

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.