{
  "id": 12814926,
  "title": "Cost, skills gaps hold back assistive technology access in Africa",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/cost-skills-gaps-hold-back-assistive-technology-access-in-africa",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-08T07:14:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Capital Business",
    "slug": "capital-business",
    "url": "https://capitalfm.africa/cost-skills-gaps-hold-back-assistive-technology-access-in-africa/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nairobi, Kenya - High costs and scarce skilled personnel are limiting access to assistive technology across Africa, excluding millions from devices that could enhance their ability to work, learn and live independently. The issue is growing as governments strive to increase access to spectacles, hearing aids, wheelchairs and other devices that foster education and employment. According to the WHO-UNICEF Global Report on Assistive Technology, over 2.5 billion people worldwide require at least one assistive product, yet nearly one billion lack access. In some low-income regions, services cater to just three percent of demand.\n\nThe World Health Organization highlights high prices, weak financing, limited product availability, fragmented services, and shortages of trained personnel as the primary barriers to access. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the skills gap is especially evident in eye care, where basic vision correction is a major need. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness reveals that the region has a median of only two optometrists per million people, as opposed to 156 per million in high-income areas. In a 21-country study, the availability of optometrists outside capital cities dropped to 0.9 per million people, underscoring the challenge of delivering essential refractive services to rural and underserved communities. This shortage results in patients with simple vision needs facing long distances and additional expenses to access services, while scarce specialist capacity hinders health systems' ability to meet demand on a larger scale.\n\nCo-CEOs of Dot Glasses, Bradley Heslop and Adam Boxer, emphasize that while global commitments are essential, real access hinges on individuals being able to obtain the appropriate product at an affordable price in their local area. \"This World Sight Day, we urge governments, health systems, funders, employers, and communities to collaborate in removing the barriers that prevent people from receiving basic eye care,\" they state. The issue has gained renewed global focus following the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 80/305 in September. Sponsored by 41 member states and adopted unanimously, the resolution aims to integrate affordable and quality assistive technology into universal health coverage and sustainable development. For Africa, translating policy commitments into action will necessitate addressing financing, procurement, workforce training, distribution, and maintenance of assistive products. The economic impact of poor access extends beyond healthcare, affecting school attendance, workplace participation, and productivity, thereby amplifying the broader costs of exclusion.",
  "summary": "NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 8 – High costs and shortages of skilled personnel are limiting access to assistive technology across Africa, leaving millions of people without products that could improve their…",
  "key_points": [
    "High costs and skills gaps limit assistive tech access in Africa",
    "WHO-UNICEF report: 1 billion lack access to assistive products",
    "Sub-Saharan Africa faces severe optometrist shortage"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}