The Singapore Family Physician

Back to issue Vol 49 No. 8 - Child and Adolescent Preventive Mental Health Care

Inclusive Healthcare for Disability Across Lifespan – Epidemiology and Services

Lim Hong Huay
The Singapore Family Physician Vol 49 No 8 - Child and Adolescent Preventive Mental Health Care
33 - 47
1 September 2023
0377-5305
Disability is common and affects 12 percent of Singaporean children and youths. In accordance with Singapore’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2030, our nation has made notable social advancement towards disability inclusion in the recent decades. However, healthcare inequity for persons with disabilities (PWD) remains a challenge in Singapore. This article presents a summary of the global and local epidemiology of disability, with a special focus on special needs children and youth with disabilities. An overview of the social, educational, and community services to support children and youth with disabilities, and their families, is also presented, aiming to aid the family physician’s pivotal role in providing equitable and holistic primary care for these vulnerable individuals. Lastly, this article examines the factors affecting healthcare equity for the PWD and discusses principles and strategies to improve health equity and outcomes for children and adolescents with disabilities in Singapore.