The body that looks after the welfare of people living with disabilities says it is disappointed with the exclusion of people with disabilities in discussions relating to the coronavirus pandemic.

The reaction follows the ongoing sensitisation meetings that the ministry of health is conducting meant to orient people about the deadly convid-19 which organisations feel are being at the expense of people with disabilities.

Symon Munde Programs Manager for Federation of Disability Organisations in Malawi says as an organisation they have discovered that coronavirus prevention interventions being put in place by government are not disability inclusive.

‘’Our take is that such an approach needs to be avoided. We are making such calls given what we have noted,’’ said Munde.

He has since asked the ministry of health to consider producing written material in braille machine with coronavirus preventive messages and involving sign language interpreters when orienting the masses.

The ministry was yet to comment on the matter as went to press.

In Malawi, public gathering have been banned, a decree that also extends to public and private schools.

There is however no case reported in the country and the directive followed the increase of cases in the African region.

With about 34 African countries currently with recorded cases, governments continue to roll out increasingly robust measures to halt the spread and to contain the pandemic which has claimed a number of lives.

Thus far, there ar more than 1,400 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the continent, with a number of African countries imposing a range of prevention and containment measures against the spread of the pandemic.

According to the latest data, of the WHO on COVID-19 in Africa, the breakdown remains fluid as countries confirm cases as and when.

The whole of Africa has rising cases with a sizeable number of countries holding out.

Source: MIJ Online