A new analysis from The Lancet Regional Asia reveals a sobering reality: older rural women in Sri Lanka face not three separate barriers to assistive technology access, but rather a convergent ecosystem of disadvantage that compounds their exclusion. This intersectional disadvantage—where age, gender, and geography simultaneously restrict device availability, affordability, and maintenance support—demands recognition as a distinct public health crisis.
The research demonstrates that treating these factors independently misses the true magnitude of inequity. When policy responds to age disparities alone, or geographic disparities alone, it fails the populations experiencing all barriers simultaneously. Experts emphasize that effective health equity solutions must adopt integrated approaches that acknowledge how demographic and systemic factors multiply disadvantage, not simply add to it.
Read the full article on GMJ Newsroom.
Was this article helpful?
