adminSpeaking during the Day of the African Child Commemorations at Dulibadzimu Stadium in Beitbridge last Thursday, the acting local district medical officer, Dr Lenos Samhere said there was need for Government and partners to work together in addressing discrimination against children with disabilities by embracing them in all spheres of society.
“Government and stakeholders should work together in addressing discrimination against children living with disabilities in our society. We need to raise awareness about their rights, capabilities and potential and to draw attention on their situation since they are vulnerable to marginalisation and violence, especially those with intellectual disabilities and albinism,” he said.
Dr Samhere called for effective strategies in preventing disability during childhood, saying there was a relationship between disability and poverty.
“It has been noted that poor nutrition, for example, is linked to Vitamin A deficiency in infants, which in turn may cause blindness or lead to a child being born with disabilities such as spina bifida.
“We therefore need to come up with effective strategies to prevent disability since causes are preventable diseases such as poliomyelitis, meningitis and cerebral malaria, accidents, and inadequate prenatal and neonatal health care services,” he said.
Dr Samhere said in the last couple of decades, significant efforts have been made in the development of an international framework setting out the rights of persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities.
“The main objectives of the Day of the African Child commemorations include undertaking advocacy with African governments and civil society for greater mobilisation for the realisation of the rights of children with disabilities as well as identifying areas of concern aligned with the Call for Accelerated Action, where action should be taken by Governments as a matter of urgency,” he said.
The Day of the African Child is celebrated annually on 16 June in commemoration of the killing of thousands of black South African school children who had taken to the streets during the 1976 Soweto Uprising. They were protesting over the inferior quality of their education and also demanding their right to be taught in their mother tongue. It was first initiated by the African Union in 1991.
This year’s event was held under the theme “The Rights of Children with Disabilities: The Duty to Protect, Respect, Promote and Fulfill”.
According to the African Child Policy Forum, 2011, disability falls under the following disability categories: hearing impaired, visual disability, mental disability, motor and physical disability and multiple disabilities.
According to the Disabled Persons Act of Zimbabwe, Chapter 17:01, a disabled person is defined as “a person with a physical, mental or sensory disability, including a visual, hearing or speech functional disability, which gives rise to physical, cultural or social barriers inhibiting him from participating at an equal level with other members of a society in activities, undertakings or fields of employment that are open to other members of society”.
“This view of a medical condition has gradually been replaced by a social view that looks at disabling environments and social structures including attitudes rather than at the disabled person. Instead of disability being viewed as a shortcoming on the part of the individual, the focus has now moved to the environment and society as a whole and to the lack of consideration for human difference,” Dr Samhere said.
The local Child Senator, Listen Munyai, said there was a need to protect, respect and promote the children’s rights in line with Article Number One of the Unesco Declaration of the Rights of a Child which states that all children without exception whatsoever shall be entitled to these rights without distinction or discrimination.
“There has been a lot of exploitation, discrimination and social injustice especially to the children with disabilities. It is the duty of the family, school, community, NGOs and the Government to make sure that these rights of the children with disabilities are not violated in any way,” he said.
Child Senator Munyai said children were forced to migrate from their permanent homes due to various factors that included physical and emotional abuse.
“Through their course of migration they face serious difficulties, such as rape, hunger, contracting diseases such as HIV/Aids, death, exploitation and disability,” he said.
He said there was a need for children living with disabilities to have access to education and medication.
The event was marked with entertainment from pupils from Vhembe High School, Beitbridge Government Primary School and Beitbridge Mission School who recited poems.
Online Reporter