On December 3, we celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, during which we draw attention to the daily challenges faced by over 1.3 billion people around the world. The most vulnerable are people with disabilities living in low- and middle-income countries and in areas of armed conflict.
Saturday is International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Published Dec. 2, 2022 15:48
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Globally, one in six people have a disability. They experience inequalities not only in financial and environmental terms, but also in health systems. People with disabilities more often experience a general deterioration of health related to difficulties in reaching facilities and diagnostics. An estimated 80% of people with disabilities live in low- and middle-income countries where health services are limited.
– Development programs must take into account the unique needs of people with disabilities. It is not only about preventing their exclusion, but also about active inclusion in the life of the community, guaranteeing access to health services and education. This is a big challenge, requiring many years of catching up, when care was left to the family or special centers. We all learn from each other, we implement new solutions to cover all groups with medical care - says Małgorzata Olasińska-Chart from the Polish Medical Mission. For many years, the organization has been involved in the purchase of prostheses for children and women injured during the war in Syria. Due to the war in Ukraine, the prosthesis and rehabilitation program is also conducted in Poland.
Before the start of the conflict, approximately 2.7 million people with disabilities lived in Ukraine. Each alarm and the need to go down to shelters are a challenge - people with mobility limitations are particularly vulnerable, but they are not the only group in need of help. Since the beginning of the war, at least 12 people with disabilities have died in care institutions in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. Some residents remain in unhealthy conditions and must be evacuated immediately due to the coming winter, because the institutions are not able to guarantee them basic material resources and security.
As part of supporting people with disabilities, the Polish Medical Mission together with the "Jona Moment" Association created the Iron Help project. It is to cover over 350 people from both Ukraine and Poland. In addition to permanent rehabilitation for people living in Poland, 10-day sports and rehabilitation camps will be organized for Ukrainian citizens living beyond our eastern border. Participants will be included in a training program to prepare for everyday functioning with a prosthesis. An important part of the rehabilitation will be sports activities (conducted, among others, by Paralympians), which will help participants return to an active life in society. Each of them will also be provided with psychological care and will have the opportunity to meet with a career counselor to determine the possibilities of returning to work after an injury.
Source: PMM
