WHO Says One Billion People Disabled

A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) says the proportion of disabled people in the world is rising. It estimates around 15 per cent of the global population has some form of disability – that’s one billion people. This figure has increased from 10 per cent in the 1970s. The World Report on Disability says about one in five of the 15 per cent, nearly 200 million, suffer from a severe disability. WHO director-general Dr Margaret Chan warned: "In the years ahead, disability will be an even greater concern…due to ageing populations and the higher risk of disability in older people as well as the global increase in chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health disorders."
One of the most worrying conclusions of the report is that the disabled are more likely to face discrimination in the future. The WHO says the disabled will have greater problems finding work and accessing healthcare. The report authors say disabled people are three times more likely to be denied healthcare than other people in developed countries. The WHO’s Tom Shakespeare said: "The clear message from the report is that there is no country that has got it right.” Dr Chan said: “Almost every one of us will be permanently or temporarily disabled at some point in life. We must do more to break the barriers which segregate people with disabilities, in many cases forcing them to the margins of society." (Breaking News English)