Role of private sector in meeting demand

On average, two in three users in LMICs purchase their AT through the private sector, which goes up to four in five for spectacles. Therefore, people in LMICs heavily rely on out-of-pocket expenditures to access AT. Provision through NGOs, corporate foundations and government initiatives remains limited in reach, with only a small portion of the need for hearing aids being met, and with slightly more, though still limited, provision for prostheses and wheelchairs.