WHO’s vision is that everyone, everywhere, has the right to the highest attainable standard of health. Assistive products are fundamental to achieve this vision, as they ensure that people with disability, older people and those affected by chronic health conditions are able to live a healthy and dignified life and are included in society.

Despite a growing number of people in need of assistive products in every country, only 5–15%, or one in 10 people, have access to assistive products. Globally, there is an unmet need for 200 million people requiring assistive products for low vision; 75 million in need of a wheelchair; and over 400 million in need of assistive products for hearing such as hearing aids. These gaps exist for a number of reasons including high cost and a lack of financing, availability, awareness and trained personnel.

Assistive technology enables and promotes inclusion and participation, especially of persons with disability, aging populations, and people with non-communicable diseases. The primary purpose of assistive products is to maintain or improve an individual’s functioning and independence, thereby promoting their well-being. They enable people to live healthy, productive, independent and dignified lives, and to participate in education, the labour market and civic life.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.