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ANKARA
The UN said Thursday that people with disabilities are among the most vulnerable groups amid the coronavirus pandemic and are often ignored during emergencies such as pandemics.
In 1992, the UN declared December 3 the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) to draw attention to the rights of people with disabilities, the difficulties in their lives and the solutions to their problems.
The UN defines disabled people as “those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory deficiencies that, in interaction with various barriers, can impede their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”
The IDPD theme is “Build back better: towards a post-COVID-19 world that includes people with disabilities, is accessible and sustainable” in order to achieve the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in all parts of society and take steps to involve them in development. .
Every one in seven people in the world, or more than a billion people, maintains their life with a disability, according to the UN, with 80% of the disabled population living in developing countries.
It is estimated that 46% of the population over 60 years of age has a disability. While one woman in five will have a disability in her lifetime, one in 10 children is disabled.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the growing understanding that disabilities are part of the human being. They emphasize that all people will have a permanent or temporary disability at some point in their lives, but very few countries have sufficient mechanisms to fully respond to the needs of people with disabilities.
The WHO says that nearly 190 million people with a disability over the age of 15 face serious difficulties and need health services. It predicts that the disabled population will increase as the general population ages and chronic health conditions increase.
People with disabilities have less access to health services than others and, therefore, their health and care needs are not sufficiently met. Health care services for them are often of poor quality and inadequate, WHO says, adding that the number and quality of primary health care services and rehabilitation programs must be increased rapidly.
Impact of the COVID-19 crisis on people with disabilities
Disabled people are among those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the UN.
People with disabilities are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 threat and are at higher risk of becoming infected.
People with disabilities find it difficult to take the most important precautions against the virus, such as washing their hands, observing social distancing and complying with local sanitary regulations.
Most of the time, the water, sanitation and hygiene facilities are not accessible to the disabled. It becomes impossible for them to observe social distancing while requiring physical contact for support.
Access to health services is critically important for people with disabilities, as they are more vulnerable to extremely dangerous secondary conditions and associated diseases, such as lung problems, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
Even before the pandemic, every one in three disabled people could not access health and care services.
The risk of COVID-19 infection is further increased in nursing homes, where especially disabled older people live.
People with disabilities also lose their jobs during the pandemic.
* Written by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara.
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