The World Health Organization (WHO) marked a major milestone in advancing health equity for persons with disabilities by convening the inaugural meeting of the WHO Disability Health Equity Network on 12-13 November 2025 at WHO headquarters in Geneva.
The WHO Disability Health Equity Network brings together 154 members, including 35 Member States and a range of global actors from civil society, academia, and international agencies to drive coordinated action towards health equity for persons with disabilities. The two-day hybrid event was attended by 83 participants in person and 119 online, and its opening session was viewed over 1000 times on YouTube. The interactive discussions set the stage for collaborative work across four strategic workstreams:
- build leadership on health equity among persons with disabilities;
- elevate health equity for persons with disabilities as a political priority in health;
- create a disability-inclusive health sector; and
- establish robust indicators, evidence and monitoring.
This Network is not just a platform, it's a promise. A promise that we will act on with urgency, unity, and purpose to ensure health systems deliver for all.
Opening remarks emphasized the urgency of dismantling health inequities that shorten lives and limit access to care for the world’s 1.3 billion persons with disabilities.
Participants identified priority actions for 2026, including capacity-building initiatives, advocacy campaigns, integration of disability into universal health coverage reforms, and development of global disability indicators.
The Network is part of the WHO Disability Health Equity Initiative, responding to Member States’ mandate under World Health Assembly Resolution 74.8. By fostering collaboration and amplifying voices of persons with disabilities, WHO aims to close avoidable health gaps and advance Health for All.
