Special Olympics’ health chief on championing inclusive care

McKinsey September 20, 2024
Sunny Sun Washington

Chief health officer Dimitri Christakis emphasizes a framework promoting health equity for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Since its founding in 1968, Special Olympics has grown into a global program that provides year-round athletic training and competition for millions of children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The program fosters and celebrates its athletes’ abilities and promotes equal access to healthcare for all, according to Dimitri Christakis, MD, a professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Washington and the chief health officer at Special Olympics International. Christakis leads the organization’s health programs—including prevention, assessment, training, and health system strengthening—to improve the holistic health of more than five million Special Olympics athletes and others with intellectual disabilities.

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