Unmet health and care needs of persons with disabilities in Ethiopia: what and why
1
Public Health, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
2
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, MERQ Consultancy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
3
Health Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
An estimated 1.3 billion persons with disabilities (PWDs) globally need to be prioritized in the push towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), as they experience significant health inequities. However, there is limited evidence from low-income settings. This study aimed to assess the unmet health and care needs of PWDs and identify the barriers hindering their access to services.
METHODS:
The research employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Data was collected from 708 community members (354 PWDs and 354 persons without disabilities, or PWoDs), 42 health facilities, and 569 health service providers. This was supplemented by 19 Key Informant Interviews and 8 Focus Group Discussions. Quantitative data was analyzed using STATA and qualitative data with Atlas.ti.
RESULTS:
The results reveal stark disparities. A much higher proportion of PWDs (69.5%) had at least one health problem requiring services compared to PWoDs (43.5%). Critically, two-in-five PWDs (39.8%) had unmet healthcare needs, a rate significantly higher than the 15.1% for PWoDs. This level of unmet need and disparity is higher than what has been observed in similar studies. PWDs face multiple, intersecting barriers within the health system. These include limited awareness about health and available services, inadequate efforts from the health system to promote inclusiveness, and communication barriers. Furthermore, PWDs encounter financial challenges and find most physical components of health facilities to be inaccessible. Despite multiple policy documents aimed at enabling inclusive health services, a significant implementation gap persists.
CONCLUSIONS:
PWDs have higher healthcare needs and health risks yet experience substantially higher unmet needs and lower service utilisation. The barriers are multifaceted, stemming from personal, socio-cultural, provider, and contextual factors. To address these gaps, integrated and multi-sectoral strategies from all stakeholders are critical for achieving a more inclusive healthcare system.
An estimated 1.3 billion persons with disabilities (PWDs) globally need to be prioritized in the push towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), as they experience significant health inequities. However, there is limited evidence from low-income settings. This study aimed to assess the unmet health and care needs of PWDs and identify the barriers hindering their access to services.
METHODS:
The research employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Data was collected from 708 community members (354 PWDs and 354 persons without disabilities, or PWoDs), 42 health facilities, and 569 health service providers. This was supplemented by 19 Key Informant Interviews and 8 Focus Group Discussions. Quantitative data was analyzed using STATA and qualitative data with Atlas.ti.
RESULTS:
The results reveal stark disparities. A much higher proportion of PWDs (69.5%) had at least one health problem requiring services compared to PWoDs (43.5%). Critically, two-in-five PWDs (39.8%) had unmet healthcare needs, a rate significantly higher than the 15.1% for PWoDs. This level of unmet need and disparity is higher than what has been observed in similar studies. PWDs face multiple, intersecting barriers within the health system. These include limited awareness about health and available services, inadequate efforts from the health system to promote inclusiveness, and communication barriers. Furthermore, PWDs encounter financial challenges and find most physical components of health facilities to be inaccessible. Despite multiple policy documents aimed at enabling inclusive health services, a significant implementation gap persists.
CONCLUSIONS:
PWDs have higher healthcare needs and health risks yet experience substantially higher unmet needs and lower service utilisation. The barriers are multifaceted, stemming from personal, socio-cultural, provider, and contextual factors. To address these gaps, integrated and multi-sectoral strategies from all stakeholders are critical for achieving a more inclusive healthcare system.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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