Capacity building of organizations of persons with disabilities on health equity

In response to WHA Resolution 74.8, which emphasized achieving the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities in December 2022. This comprehensive report included updated global estimates on disability prevalence and recommendations for more inclusive and accessible health systems. To help countries act on the report’s findings, WHO developed the Disability Guide for Action, a tool designed to assist Member States in implementing inclusive primary health care, emergency preparedness, and cross-sectoral public health interventions. The current funding opportunity directly supports these broader efforts to eliminate health inequities for persons with disabilities. This call for proposals seeks to build the capacity and leadership of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in advocating for health equity. OPDs at international, regional, and national levels play a crucial role in advancing inclusive health policies. By equipping these organizations with knowledge and tools, WHO aims to foster local partnerships and support ministries of health in understanding the systemic barriers that negatively impact health outcomes for persons with disabilities. The first objective of this initiative is to enable OPDs to better understand and advocate for health equity. Activities under this objective include developing tailored informational materials and delivering at least 15 accessible webinars focused on health equity across all six WHO regions. These materials and webinars must be accessible and suitable for grassroots-level application, incorporating captioning and international sign-language interpretation as standard. The second objective involves capturing and amplifying the lived experiences of persons with disabilities regarding health equity. This will be achieved by collecting a minimum of ten diverse case studies, including multimedia testimonies, from across all WHO regions. These case studies should consider various dimensions of diversity such as gender, ethnicity, and cultural background. The results will be disseminated through relevant forums to raise awareness and foster dialogue on the challenges and best practices related to health equity. To be eligible for this opportunity, applicants must be OPDs operating at the international level and must demonstrate network access to other OPDs at global and regional levels. They should have direct experience in the field of health equity for persons with disabilities and be proficient in managing international webinars with appropriate accessibility features. Additionally, experience in creating advocacy materials tailored for OPDs is required. Preference will be given to organizations with prior experience working with WHO or supporting OPDs at various levels on advocacy issues related to health equity. The proposal submission deadline is 3 July 2025 at 17:00 CEST. Activities are scheduled to commence in August 2025, with most work occurring between September and December 2025. Proposals must include a statement of interest, examples of relevant experience, a detailed activity timeline, and a cost proposal. Submissions should be sent to disability@who.int.