This study reveals that households caring for a child with a disability spent more than the national average household expenditure, and the annual cost of illness for all households was more than 100% of the national GDP per capita. In sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 15 million children live with varying developmental disabilities representing 50% of the global burden. Universal health coverage requires that all people irrespective of their social demographic characteristics have access to quality and affordable care. Given that people with disabilities are more likely to experience poor health, this means households with children living with developmental disabilities are likely to be at risk of incurring catastrophic health expenditures due to exorbitant medical expenses. These findings underscore the need for inclusive UHC and national efforts to curb the risk of catastrophic health expenditures for households caring for children with disability.
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