Disability Rights 5: The right to special health services

In addition to the human rights laws in the Constitution of Uganda there are several other rights granted to persons with disabilities (PWDs). These rights are given by law in the Persons With Disabilities Act 2006 (PWDA) which is modeled on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Whether you are a PWD or not, these laws apply to you.

Section 8 of the PWDA says that the government will promote special health services for PWDs. It then gives 3 areas where health services should be promoted:

1. Reproductive services for women with disabilities (WWDs).
2. Enforcing user friendly materials for PWDs visiting hospitals.
3. Encourage population based public health programs relevant to PWDs.

If you are a PWD and particularly WWD then these 3 health services are important for you. Each service is important for the reasons are described below.

1, if you are a WWD, your health workers should have educated you about the risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) for the following reasons (see The Disability and HIV / AIDS by the National Union of Disabled Persons in Uganda:

• More than 1 in 3 PWDs (38% women and 35% men) have reported an STD at some time. 
• There is a high correlation between the incidence of HIV/AIDS and STDs. 
• WWDs are more likely to be victims of sexual abuse.

2, supplying user friendly material for PWDs visiting hospital is more than supplying brailled information. It means having appropriate equipment such as lower beds, handrails around the hospital for the blind and accessible toilets for WWDs.

3, Doctor Etheldreda Nakimuli-Mpungu is working on an important population based public health program using group therapy to treat people with depression and HIV/AIDS. (For more information see the video Rolling back depression in Uganda).

Dr. Nakimuli teaching Gulu health workers about emotional self-care.

This law is written in section 8 of the Persons With Disabilities Act 2006:

8. Special health services 

The Government shall promote special health services required by persons with disabilities including— 

(a) providing access to reproductive health services which are relevant to women with disabilities;
(b) enforcing user friendly hospital materials, for use by persons with disabilities visiting hospitals:
(c) encouraging population based public health programmes relevant to persons with disabilities.