The study, ‘Gender Inequality in Out-of-Pocket Expenditure on Healthcare Among Persons with Disabilities in India’, shed light on the stark gender inequalities in healthcare costs.
Researchers used data from the National Sample Survey’s 76th round, which painted a concerning picture of out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare across different states.
According to the findings, the financial burden of healthcare is disproportionately higher for males in most regions, except in a few areas, where females spend more.
Prof Denny John, co-author of the study said, “People with disabilities unduly suffer greater ill-health compared to the non-disabled population, mainly due to poverty.”
“There is a critical need for policies that specifically target the reduction of financial barriers for all genders, but particularly for women, to access healthcare services,” the authors said.