Stakeholders and disability advocates in Ogun State have called for the inclusion of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the state’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and Safe Termination of Pregnancy (SToP) guidelines, raising concerns over the neglect and challenges faced by women living with disabilities, Dailypost reports.
The call was made during a briefing and alignment meeting on inclusive SToP guidelines held in Abeokuta, where healthcare providers, civil society groups and community representatives discussed barriers preventing PWDs from accessing proper sexual and reproductive healthcare.
Speaking at the meeting, Executive Director of The Rainbow Alive Hub Initiative (TRAHI), Paul Bennett, said although the Ogun State government introduced policies to protect women, many vulnerable groups, including women with disabilities, were still being left behind.
According to him, some women with disabilities who become victims of sexual abuse are unable to identify perpetrators or access safe medical care due to communication and accessibility barriers.
The Ogun State Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Dr Michael Ebonhor, also decried the discrimination PWDs face in healthcare centres, including derogatory comments from some medical professionals and inaccessible facilities.
He called for disability-inclusive healthcare policies, free health insurance for vulnerable persons and improved training for healthcare workers to better support persons living with disabilities.
Responding, Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, said the government had provided ramps and accessible toilets in several health centres and was working towards deploying sign language interpreters across Primary Healthcare Centres in the state.
Another participant, identified as Adeosun Olufemi, told Dailypost that for more awareness and partnership in spreading the information to rural communities.
Olufemi argued that many PWDs are dying in silence, citing an experience where a deaf and dumb was raped and the survivor could not identify the perpetrator.
