Group Distributes Sanitary Pads, Foodstuffs to 150 People With Disabilities in Kwara

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

The Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI) on Tuesday in Ilorin distributed sanitary pads, foodstuffs and cash to more than 150 People With Disabilities (PWD) in Kwara.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was a One-day Sensitization Programme on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for Women and Girls with Disabilities in the state.

Speaking at the programme, Barr. Catherine Edeh, the Executive Director of VDI explained that the programme was
organized in collaboration with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Kwara Chapter.

She stated that about 150 women and girls with disabilities from different disability clusters participated in the workshop.

Edeh listed some of the Groups to include women with Albinism, physically challenged women, deaf women/hardnof hearing, blind women and women with cerebral palsy among others.

According to her, the sensitization programme is part of the activities under the 2-Year Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Project being funded by in three states in Nigeria by AmplifyChange, a Uk-based organization.

She commended Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara for providing the legal framework for the protection of rights of PWDs through the enactments of Discrimination against Persons With Disability (Prohibition) Law in 2017.

Edeh, however, decried the absence of Disability Commission to oversee the affairs of PWD in the state.

“The absence of Disability Support Desks and Sign Language Interpreters in government hospitals have further compounded access to health care services for women and girls with disability in Kwara,” she said.

She appealed to the stated government to establish a Disability Commission to be domiciled directly under the Governor and the need to set up Disability Support Desks and engage Sign Language interpreters in government hospitals.

Also speaking, Mr Yusuf Bashir, the Chairman of JONAPWD, Kwara State chapter commended the initiative for catering to PWD needs.

He also applauded the governor for having disability-friendly policies, adding that AbdulRazaq has a PWD as an assistant.

Bashir observed that the state, however, needs to do more for the disabled, especially the establishment pf Disability Commission.

Earlier in his lecture, Prof Shuaib Olanrewaju, of the Department of Health Promotion and Environmental Healty Education of the University of Ilorin sensitized the PWD on sexually transmitted diseases and symptoms.

He advised them on the need to protect themselves against sexually transmitted disease such as Syphilis and Gonorrhea, adding that these are dangerous diseases.

Olanrewaju enjoined to access healthcare at hospital when they observed some of the symptoms of the diseases.

NAN reports the Initiative distributed rice, noodles, salts, sanitary pads, soaps and cash to the PWDs. (NAN)

============