WHO Director-General's opening remarks at Global Disability Summit - 12 January 2022

Your Excellency Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre,

Your Excellency Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu,

Your Excellency Nitzan Horowitz,

Yannis Vardakastanis,

Dr Natalia Kanem,

Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,

Disability is part of the human condition.

Persons with disabilities contribute to the diversity of our communities.

Many of us either experience some form of disability ourselves, or we have a family member, or friend who experiences disability.

But far too often, when they seek out health care, our brothers and sisters with disability are being left behind.
The barriers they may face are numerous, including the physical environment of health facilities, the attitudes of health workers, or the communication of health information.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, persons with disabilities have been disproportionately affected by the disease itself, and by the public health and social measures taken by governments.

This is unacceptable. It is also largely preventable, and addressable.

Achieving health and well-being for all must include addressing the barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing the health services they need.

Removing these barriers benefits everyone, especially vulnerable populations, older people, people with temporary limitations, or those living with chronic conditions.

Recognising what needs to be done is only the first step.

The second step is committing to building a disability-inclusive health sector, that makes it easier for people with disabilities to access the health services they need, and works with other sectors to foster greater inclusion in society more broadly.

For this I would like to acknowledge the leadership of the Governments of Norway and Ghana, and the International Disability Alliance.

Through your commitment and foresight, health is a thematic priority at the Global Disability Summit that will take place next month.

As Prime Minister Støre mentioned, the Global Disability Summit is a powerful opportunity to bring the international community together to commit to disability inclusion.

I urge all of you, honourable ministers, partners and stakeholders, to commit to creating a disability inclusive health sector by implementing the 10 health commitments of the Global Disability Summit.

They are commitments that will contribute to making universal health coverage truly universal.

The third step, and most critical step, is to act - action.

That requires us to listen and to engage in a continuing dialogue with persons with disabilities.

WHO is committed - as am I personally - to listening to the voices of people with disabilities. As the first speaker said - nothing for us without us.

I would like to invite the International Disability Alliance to engage in these critical discussions with myself and my colleagues from WHO.

WHO is already taking many steps to support countries build a disability-inclusive health sector.

For example, as part of our QualityRights initiative, a human rights-based approach in mental health services is being introduced in many countries for people with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities.

Through our WHO Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative and our work on assistive technology, rehabilitation and assistive technologies are being included in national packages of care as part of universal health coverage.

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Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,

More than one billion people around the world experience some form of disability.

The right to health belongs to everybody, which is why we must work together to recognize the barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing the services they need;

To commit to creating a disability-inclusive health sector;

And to act to make it a reality.

I thank you.

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