UN Resolution puts Africa’s assistive technology gap under spotlight

A landmark United Nations resolution on assistive technology has highlighted Africa's persistent access gap, pressuring governments to expand access to essential products like spectacles, hearing aids, wheelchairs, and more. Adopted on September 2026 without a vote, the UN General Assembly's Resolution 80/305 is the first dedicated to the issue, sponsored by 41 member states.

It links access to affordable, quality assistive technology to universal health coverage and sustainable development. The move follows a global access gap, estimated by the WHO-UNICEF Global Report to involve over 2.5 billion people worldwide who need at least one assistive product, while nearly one billion lack access. In some low-income settings, services meet less than three percent of estimated need, with services often concentrated in major cities.

For Africa, the challenge is particularly acute due to shortages of trained health workers, limited financing, and specialist services' concentration in urban areas. Eye care exemplifies this, with major disparities in optometrists' availability between high-income regions and Sub-Saharan Africa, limiting access to basic eye examinations and corrective services.

The UN resolution emphasizes the need for governments to finance and deliver assistive technology, not just recognize the need. The real test will be implementation, with governments required to build systems that connect affordable products with trained personnel, reliable supply chains, and community-level services. For African countries, integrating assistive technology into national health systems is a priority, focusing on expanding trained personnel, strengthening referral systems, and improving procurement and extending services to underserved communities.

The resolution's impact will depend on governments' actions, from allocating funds and training workers to improving infrastructure and services for people in classrooms, workplaces, markets, and homes.