Archives of Public Health (Aug 2021)
Disability and COVID-19: ensuring no one is left behind
- Consortium “United Nations workstream on COVID-19 disability inclusive health response and recovery”,
- Alarcos Cieza,
- Kaloyan Kamenov,
- Ola Abu Al Ghaib,
- Alessandra Aresu,
- Somnath Chatterji,
- Facundo Chavez,
- Jarrod Clyne,
- Nathalie Drew,
- Michelle Funk,
- Andrea Guzman,
- Eleonora Guzzi,
- Chapal Khasnabis,
- Bente Mikkelsen,
- Ren Minghui,
- Gopal Mitra,
- Priyanka Narahari,
- Gisela Nauk,
- Alice Priddy,
- Alaa Sabeh,
- Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes,
- Javier Vasquez,
- Roxana Widmer-Iliescu
Affiliations
- Consortium “United Nations workstream on COVID-19 disability inclusive health response and recovery”
- Alarcos Cieza
- World Health Organization
- Kaloyan Kamenov
- World Health Organization
- Ola Abu Al Ghaib
- UN Partnership on Persons with Disabilities Fund, United Nations Development Program
- Alessandra Aresu
- International Disability and Development Consortium
- Somnath Chatterji
- World Health Organization
- Facundo Chavez
- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- Jarrod Clyne
- International Disability Alliance
- Nathalie Drew
- World Health Organization
- Michelle Funk
- World Health Organization
- Andrea Guzman
- World Health Organization
- Eleonora Guzzi
- International Disability Alliance
- Chapal Khasnabis
- World Health Organization
- Bente Mikkelsen
- World Health Organization
- Ren Minghui
- World Health Organization
- Gopal Mitra
- Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations
- Priyanka Narahari
- United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
- Gisela Nauk
- Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
- Alice Priddy
- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- Alaa Sabeh
- Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
- Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes
- Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General on Disability and Accessibility
- Javier Vasquez
- Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General on Disability and Accessibility
- Roxana Widmer-Iliescu
- International Telecommunication Union
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-021-00656-7
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 79,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 6
Abstract
Abstract The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Agenda calls for targeted attention to the needs and rights of the most vulnerable populations to ensure a life of dignity and human security for all. In this paper, we argue that persons with disabilities are in a disproportionately vulnerable situation in public health emergencies. By using the example of Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), we explain why that is and call for the systematic consideration of the needs and rights of persons with disabilities during the response to the outbreak and during the recovery phase. Otherwise, equity will continue to be merely an aspiration during this COVID-19 emergency - as it will in future health emergencies.
Keywords
