- Improve health and disability laws, policies, and plans.
- Make it easier for everyone to access.
- Check budgets for addressing access barriers, rehabilitation services, and assistive technologies.
- Gather data on health categorized by disability.

Governments 

- Establish criteria for providing funding to ensure that all programs offer fair access for people with disabilities. 
- Invest in activities to improve healthcare access for people with disability. 
- Invest in more research and design work to better understand the barriers to healthcare that people with disabilities face. This will help strengthen our knowledge.

Funders

- Remember to consider the needs of people with disabilities in all health services, programs, and training. 
- Create a coalition to develop a strategy for holding policymakers and governments accountable.

Implementers and Advocates

- Recognize that people with disabilities are a large and vulnerable group that is a critical risk for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
- Address the health needs of people with disabilities and the obstacles they face in accessing healthcare when planning for UHC and SDG 3 Action.
- Improving access to healthcare for people with disabilities is crucial to achieving UHC.

Global Policymakers

- Global policymakers
- Governments 
- Funders
- Implementers and Advocates

Portland State University

Around the world, one billion people live with disabilities. This report argues that these individuals are being left behind regarding health. Lack of access not only goes against the rights of people with disabilities under international law but also poses a challenge to achieving better health services for one billion people with disabilities, which is essential for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goal 3. Most of these individuals are in low and middle-income countries and the poorest sections of society. People with disabilities encounter more obstacles in obtaining healthcare services and have less health coverage, leading to poorer health outcomes due to their higher healthcare needs.

Access to Healthcare

Kuper, H, Heydt, P. (2019). The mission billion: access to health services for 1 billion people with disabilities. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 2019. https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/TheMissingBillion

Access To Health Services For 1 Billion People With Disabilities

- Healthcare needs to be more affordable
- Health workers' lack of skill
- Shortage of healthcare specialists
- Limited infrastructure
- Poor management and leadership

Common Barriers for People with Disabilities When Accessing Healthcare


- Pre-term births 
- Stillbirths 
- Malnourished
- Severe diarrhea 
- Serious illness
- HIV prevalence 
- Diabetes 
- Cardiovascular 
- Suicidal ideation
- Substances
- Reversible contraceptives 
- Access health services 
- Healthcare provider’s skills
- Healthcare expenditures
- Environmental risks

Health Gaps Experienced by People with Disability versus Normal People

- Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3) and Universal Health Care (UHC) goals 
- Complying with international law
- Improving health services for all through universal design
- Preventing unnecessary cost for the health system
- Achieving all SDGs

Addressing the Health Gaps is Critical for Several Reasons

- Anesu from South Africa
- Dustin from the USA
- Morowa from Ghana
- Simon & Tuwafu from Malawi
- Sylvia & Maria from Brazil

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