By Shiprah Kwagala
Leaders for People With Disabilities-PWDS have asked the Covid-19 task forces for inclusion in mass vaccination campaigns.
After over a year since the government embarked on championing a drive for vaccination against Covid-19, leaders of people with disabilities are worried that a number of their colleagues remain unvaccinated because of different challenges linked to their special needs.
Most of them lack access to vaccination centres because most of these centres were built without universal designs to support people with disabilities as well if they arrive at the facilities there are persons to help them especially for those with hearing and sight impairments.
At the moment, the government is targeting to vaccinate 6.8 Million people majorly targeting learners in a mass vaccination drive during this month, taking advantage of the schools second term holiday.
Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, the director of public health and incident commander of COVID-19 at the Ministry of Health mentioned that vaccination centers would be maintained at health facilities and additional sites in the community like those near schools to ease access by respondents.
Stephen Kasango, the Chairperson Iganga District Union of Persons with Disabilities (IDUPED), noted that despite efforts of internal mobilisation among colleagues for Covid-19 vaccination, some due to difficulty with movement cannot access vaccination centres.
“You see some of these people cannot make movements by themselves like those who crawl. They need a lot of assistance to the point of being carried by someone. Even when you talk to them about vaccination and they are willing, who is there to assist them?,” said Kasango.
Hatim Kisoma also one of the vulnerable, mentioned that the physically disabled are challenged with the setting of some of the vaccination centres where one has to climb onto a raised veranda. He noted that such a setting raises question of whether the vaccinators are mindful of inclusion for people with disabilities.
He added; “I do community outreaches among my fellows as a general secretary. However, you arrive at a vaccination centre and the vaccinators are seated on a raised veranda without even a ramp. Do they assume there are no people with disabilities coming for vaccination?”
David Isabirye, a representative for those with hearing impairment implored the government to appoint and support sign language interpreters at vaccination centres. According to Isabirye, many of his colleagues hesitate to access the centres because they cannot communicate.
“For me it is better that the government appoints interpreters for deaf persons because we cannot communicate and yet we need guidance at the vaccination centres,” said Isabirye.
The representatives as well added that the blind even face worse hardship as the vaccination exercise at times involves registration and signing consent forms and yet there seems to be no special attention for them.
The Human Rights Commission in its Annual Report on the State of Human Rights and Freedoms in Uganda 2020 highlights that access to health information stood out as a challenge for persons with hearing impairment and those with visual impairment. According to the report, the persons noted that they could not pick information disseminated because of their inaccessible modes depending on their disabilities.
However, the constitution requires that the state take affirmative action in favour of marginalised groups, which include those with disabilities. The provision found in Article 32 states; “Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, the state shall take affirmative action in favour of groups marginalised on the basis of gender, age, disability or any other reason created by history, tradition or custom, for the purpose of redressing imbalances which exist against them.”
This is not the first time PWDs ask for inclusion in the Covid-19 vaccination excercise. Leaders of PWDs in Mukono at the onset of vaccination in Uganda asked for special innoculation centers with similar reasons.
In response to the pleas from their leaders, Dr Patrick Kitimbo the District Health Officer of Iganga mentioned that there have been efforts to see that all those that cannot access vaccination centres are reached on private arrangement. He also added that unlike at the moment where vaccine centres are mainly at health facilities, people with disabilities are encouraged to take advantage of on-going community outreaches.
He said; “We appreciate the responsiveness of people with disabilities in our vaccination campaigns. Their group responded so well at the onset of the vaccination exercise where they mobilised each other and would turn up at our centres in big numbers. We encourage those who cannot access our facilities to communicate to our task force which is ready to reach them even at their homes.”
One of the vaccination centres highlighted for taking keen interest is people with disabilities is Iganga Municipal Health Centre III where those with hearing impairment reported to having been given special attention by allocating them a particular date and arrangement for sign language interpretation during the exercise.
A report from the ministry of Health on Covid-19 vaccination in Uganda indicates that 40 percent of the people have received at least one vaccine dose, while 31 percent are fully vaccinated. A situation analysis from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation released last month revealed that 5 percent of the population of those unvaccinated say they would accept a vaccine for COVID-19.
Dr. Kyabayinze noted that the Ministry expects that through this exercise part of the population that has not got chance to be vaccinated will benefit.