Unmet health care needs and inequality: A cross-country comparison of the situation of people with spinal cord injury.

SCI is a long-term, irreversible health condition characterized by physical impairment and a series of chronic illness. This makes SCI a high-need, high-cost group that faces significant unmet health care needs, which are mainly explained by the costs of health services, transportation, and services availability. This situation is prevalent in low-, middle-, and high-income countries, where persons in lower income groups are disproportionately affected. To improve the situation, a combination of measures from the health and social systems are required.