The Association of the Physical Disability in Malawi (APDM) has called on authorities to expedite addressing existing gaps in social protection policy, currently under review; a plea government has described as valid.
APDM Director, Charles Khaula made the request on Tuesday in Lilongwe, during an interface meeting with duty bearers on disability inclusive social protection.
“After discovering that there is a big concern on disability inclusive social protection in the country we thought of going through the policy, where among others we discovered that there are gaps that need to be addressed”, he said.
Khaula said, among others, there should be special consideration for persons with disabilities in handouts that government and organizations give to the citizenry.
He also mentioned about inclusive education, where his organization wants additional costs be considered to deal with mobility challenges that impede the right to education for persons with disabilities.
The APDM Director further asked authorities to have data that will help in identification of actual number of persons with disabilities who benefit from various handouts.
To his part, George Chiusiwa, Director of Malawi Council for Disability Affairs (MACODA), described the meeting as crucial, arguing that if the country is to meet the aspirations of Malawi 2063, issues about disabilities inclusive development have to be improved.
Chiusiwa pledged that his organization will keep engaging various duty bearers and stakeholders in a bid to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities.
Apart from organisations on disabilities, representatives from ministries of finance, agriculture, education as well as UNICEF, were available during the meeting.
On the part of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Director of Poverty Reduction and Social Protection Kate Langwe described the recommendations presented during the meeting as valid and relevant.
She pledged to present the recommendations so that they should be considered in the new National Social Protection Policy which Government is in the process of drafting.
The social protection policy was enacted with primary focus of improving the welfare support for people in extreme poverty.
