WHO Regional Director highlights disability inclusion on International Day of Persons with Disabilities

On 3 December 2025, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities under the theme “Fostering Disability‑Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress”. The message notes that more than 188 million people in the African Region live with a disability and face barriers to health services, education, transport and employment. WHO emphasizes that inclusive health systems are essential for sustainable development and outlines actions such as supporting national disability‑inclusive health strategies, grounding work in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, publishing the Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities, and launching the WHO Disability Health Equity Network, which now includes 147 members, 24 from Africa. The Director calls on governments, partners and communities to translate commitments into concrete investments and to involve persons with disabilities in designing policies and services.