Disability Inclusion in the South African Health System: Results of a Health System Assessment

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities face more barriers accessing healthcare and, on average, experience worse health outcomes. These barriers are attributed to inadequate health systems. The Missing Billion Inclusive Health System Framework is a new tool to support policy makers assess levels of disability inclusion within health systems. We used this framework in South Africa (SA).
Information sources used to complete the assessment included SA laws and policies, publicly available data and datasets, published literature and interviews with people with IDD, their carers/family members and service providers.
The framework was comprehensive and feasible to complete. It highlighted key strengths in terms of disability inclusion in the South African health system as well as gaps and leverage points for action.
This framework enabled us to identify progress and opportunities to strengthen disability inclusion in our health system. There are opportunities for strengthening data and evidence, inclusive policies, healthcare worker training on disability and health service accessibility.
These insights enable us to set a benchmark for disability inclusion in South Africa, and how government, civil society and academia worked together to identify ways in which the health system could be more inclusive of people with disabilities. Actions must be centered on, and informed by, people with disabilities