Government Must Pay Attention To Disability Care Resolution

Government Must Pay Attention To Disability Care Resolution

29 May 2012

The 66th World Health Assembly has adopted a resolution calling for better health care for people with disabilities

The 66th World Health Assembly adopted yesterday a resolution recalling the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and endorsing the recommendations of the 2011 World report on disability.

The resolution urges Member States to implement as States Parties the CRPD; develop national action plans and improve data collection. Member States are encouraged to ensure that all mainstream health services are inclusive of people with disabilities; provide more support to informal caregivers; and ensure that people with disabilities have access to services that help them acquire or restore skills and functional abilities as early as possible.

Across the world people with disabilities do not receive the health care they need; have poorer health; are nearly three times more likely to be denied health care; and four times more likely to be treated badly. The resolution, the first adopted by the World Health Assembly on disability since 2005, seeks to address these disparities.

The National Foundation for the Deaf CEO Louise Carroll said “These disparities are clearly evidenced in New Zealand by many with hearing impairment having to part pay for hearing aids and the lack of appropriate ACC provided rehabilitation for people with hearing injury caused by toxic industrial noise. They are being denied access to technology and services that help them acquire or restore skills and functional abilities as early as possible and we call on the government to urgently address these shortcomings”.
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