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The missing billion - Access to health services for 1 billion people with disabilities

KUPER, Hannah
HEYDT, Phyllis
July 2019

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One billion people around the world live with disabilities. This report makes the case that they are being “left behind” in the global community’s work on health. This lack of access not only violates the rights of people with disabilities under international law, but UHC (Universal Health Care) and SDG 3 cannot be attained without better health services for the one billion people with disabilities. 

Health and healthcare are critical issues for people with disabilities. People with disabilities often need specialized medical care related to the underlying health condition or impairment (e.g., physiotherapy, hearing aids). They also need general healthcare services like anyone else (e.g., vaccinations, antenatal care). On average, those with disabilities are more vulnerable to poor health, because of their higher levels of poverty and exclusion, and through secondary conditions and co-morbidities. People with disabilities therefore may require higher levels of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services. However, health services are often lower quality, not affordable, and inaccessible for people with disabilities. In many situations these barriers are even more significant for women with disabilities, compared to men with disabilities.

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol.12, no.4 Special Issue - Mental health pathways for people with intellectual disabilities: the education, training and practice implications

CHARNOCK, David
WRIGHT, Nicola
Eds
November 2017

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"This special edition aims to address some of the complexities and challenges faced in mainstream mental health services in three ways. First, to highlight the specific needs of people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems. Second, to promote the importance of interdisciplinary working and learning in relation to mental wellbeing and intellectual disability, showcasing innovative approaches to care and finally, to offer a voice to specialists from intellectual disability practice and research to foster practical and conceptual thinking in relation to this group of service users"

There is a freely accessible editorial and there are six papers:

  • People with intellectual disabilities accessing mainstream mental health services: some facts, features and professional considerations
  • Psychiatry and intellectual disabilities: navigating complexity and context
  • Development and dissemination of a core competency framework
  • Mental health staff views on improving burnout and mental toughness
  • Using wordless books to support clinical consultations
  • Actors with intellectual disabilities in mental health simulation training

Full articles are not free.

Healthcare provider's attitude towards disability and experience of women with disabilities in the use of maternal healthcare service in rural Nepal

DEVKOTA, Hridaya Raj
KETT, Maria
GROCE, Nora
MURRAY, Emily
June 2017

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BACKGROUND:
Women with disabilities are less likely to receive maternal healthcare services compared to women without disabilities. While few studies have reviewed healthcare experience of women with disabilities, no studies have been conducted to understand provider's attitude towards disability in Nepal, yet the attitude and behaviour of healthcare providers may have a significant influence on aspects of care and the use of service by women with disabilities. This study examines healthcare provider's attitudes towards disability and explores the experience of women with disabilities in maternal healthcare service utilization during pregnancy and childbirth.

METHOD:
The study used mixed method approach. An attitude survey was conducted among 396 healthcare providers currently working in public health facilities in Rupandehi district of Nepal. For additional insight, eighteen in-depth interviews with women with disabilities who used maternal healthcare services in a healthcare facility within the study district in their last pregnancy were undertaken. The Attitude Towards Disabled Persons (ATDP) scale score was used to measure the attitudes of healthcare providers. For quantitative data, univariate and multivariate analysis using ANOVA was used to understand the association between outcome and independent variables and qualitative analysis generated and described themes.

Reproductive Health, 2017

Integrating mental health into primary care : a global perspective

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
WORLD ORGANIZATION OF FAMILY DOCTORS (WONCA)
2008

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This report provides the rationale and know-how on integrating mental health into primary health care. It outlines primary care for mental health in context and then presents primary care for mental health in practice, highlighting 12 case studies and key lessons learnt from specific countries. A detailed annex on the core functions of primary care workers is provided, as well as 10 core principles of mental health integration. This resource is useful to anyone interested in integrating mental health into primary care

Mental health policy, plans and programmes : mental health policy and service guidance package

FUNK, Michelle
et al
2003

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"This module presents evidence-based guidance for the development and implementation of mental health policies, plans and programmes. The experiences of several countries are used as practical sources for drawing up mental health policies and implementing them through plans and programmes"
Notes: This module is part of a guidance package that consists of a series of interrelated user-friendly modules that are designed to address the wide variety of needs and priorities in mental health policy development and service planning. Its recommended for use by policy makers, service planners representatives or associations of families and carers of people with mental disorders

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