Disability in Sierra Leone

Disability in Sierra Leone – According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 10% of the world’s population experience some form of disability or impairment. ^[1] However, the proportion of disabled people is much higher in Sierra Leone, a Western African country which had just emerged from a decade-long civil war back in 2002 where the trademark of the rebel groups was to hack off the limbs of civilians. ^[2] It is estimated that there are about 450,000 disabled people in Sierra Leone but this number could well be an under-representation. ^[3] The disabled includes the blind, deaf, war wounded, amputees and people suffering from polio.

Currently, the government of Sierra Leone does not provide any assistance to the disabled. According to Bentry Kalanga, the senior programme manager of Africa for SOS Children, an international charity organization, “Disability has not been regarded as a major development issue up to now and it must be highlighted more.”^[4]

The United Nations Development Programme Human Development Report ranks Sierra Leone 158 out of 169 countries using the Human Development Index (HDI) as an indicator of national development. Sierra Leone’s HDI of 0.317 in 2010 is below the Sub-Saharan Africa regional average of 0.389, revealing the extent of underdevelopment in the country.^[5] According to the World Bank, disabled people make up a large proportion of the poorest people in developing countries. ^[6] In fact, the mutual reinforcement of disability and poverty often creates a vicious circle. ^[7] Disabled people are often marginalized and they often face barriers when taking part in education, employment and social activities. ^[8] In a 2009 study of disability in Sierra Leone, only one third of the disabled people surveyed are employed while twice as many disabled people (16.4%) have no access to healthcare as compared to non-disabled people (7.1%). In addition, according to the United Nations Development Programme, only 35% of Sierra Leone’s population above 15 years of age is educated and the statistic is even lower for that with disabilities. ^[9] Poor people are also more at risk of acquiring a disability due to a lack of access to sanitation as well as a safe living and working environment. ^[10]

As one of the poorest countries in the world facing a high disability rate, it is imperative that Sierra Leone take measures to empower and include in its society its disabled population. With some community support, training and nurturing, Sierra Leone’s disabled population can potentially be a source of human capital which can enlarge the country’s labour force base and lower the number of dependents in the population. In addition, measures should also be taken to improve living condition in Sierra Leone to prevent the acquiring of a disability by a larger proportion of the population. By empowering its disabled citizens and improving the living condition of its population, Sierra Leone will be able to enlarge its human capital base, improving the returns to capital and attracting the inflow of investment, resulting in economic growth for the country.

References

1. ^ DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION WHO ACTION PLAN 2006–2011. (PDF) . Retrieved on 2011-03-13.
2. ^ Country profile: Sierra Leone. BBC News (2010-11-23). Retrieved on 2011-03-13.
3. ^ Government discussion turns to issues of the disabled in Sierra Leone. Jhr.ca. Retrieved on 2011-03-13.
4. ^ Disabled must figure in Sierra Leone rebuild — SOS Children. Soschildrensvillages.org.uk (2010-04-14). Retrieved on 2011-03-13.
5. ^ International Human Development Indicators – UNDP. Hdrstats.undp.org. Retrieved on 2011-03-13.
6. ^ Disability – Poverty and Disability. Web.worldbank.org. Retrieved on 2011-03-13.
7. ^ Disability and Poverty. Hcdg.org. Retrieved on 2011-03-13.
8. ^ Daniel Mont Measuring Disability Prevalence. (PDF). The World Bank. March 2007 Retrieved on 2011-03-13.
9. ^ Mobility Matters for Polio-disabled of Sierra Leone. Prweb.com (2007-10-23). Retrieved on 2011-03-13.
10. ^ Jean-Francois Trani et al. Disability In and Around Urban Areas of Sierra Leone, UCL