Did you know that over 1 billion people or approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population live with some form of disability? U.N. International Day of Persons with Disabilities is on 3rd December.
The number of people experiencing disability is increasing due to a rise in chronic health conditions and population ageing. Disability is a human rights issue, with people with disability being subject to multiple violations of their rights, including acts of violence, abuse, prejudice and disrespect because of their disability, which intersects with other forms of discrimination based on age and gender, among other factors. People with disability also face barriers, stigmatization and discrimination when accessing health and health-related services and strategies. Disability is a development priority because of its higher prevalence in lower-income countries and because disability and poverty reinforce and perpetuate one another.
Disability is extremely diverse. While some health conditions associated with disability result in poor health and extensive health care needs, others do not. However, all people with disability have the same general health care needs as everyone else, and therefore need access to mainstream health care services. Article 25 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) reinforces the right of persons with disability to attain the highest standard of health, without discrimination. However, the reality is that few countries provide adequate quality services for people with disability.
Credit : World Health Organisation
Picture Credit : Google
