Women living with disabilities’ Covid-19 plea

WOMEN living with disabilities have implored the Government and relevant authorities to prioritise them during the fight against Covid-19.

The plea was made by the Institute for Community Development in Zimbabwe (ICOD Zim), which primarily targets both able-bodied and disabled women and girls.

The organisation’s Communications and Advocacy Officer Elinera Manyonga said:

“The organisation has engaged and consulted its members who are women with disabilities through its various platforms, to come up with a common position on the implications of the Covid-19 vaccination and the need to prioritise persons with disabilities in the vaccine roll out plan.

“We are taking into consideration that the government has received its first consignment of the Sinopharm vaccine from China and there is another expected next week.

“We acknowledge the efforts by the Government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care and other stakeholders to curtail the spread of Covid-19 whilst ensuring that the country has a Covid-19 vaccine,” she said.

She said the organisation acknowledges the efforts put in place by the Government.

“(There is) Need for engagement of institutions of and persons with disabilities to deliberate on how they can be included in the Covid19 vaccine roll out plans.”

The organisation also implored the Government and relevant stakeholders to timely disseminate reliable information in disability accessible formats such as braille, large print and videos with captions and sign language.

“The relevant ministries need to help demystify various misconceptions amplified on social media platforms around the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine for various groups of people in their diversity,” said Manyonga.

ICOD Zim primarily targets women and girls; as well as women and girls with disabilities and their children distinctively, in rural, commercial farming and mining communities.

It is currently operating in Masvingo and Midlands provinces.