Africa-Press – Lesotho. The disabled people have shown concern regarding the slow progress made by the government of Lesotho on taking into consideration the sexual and reproductive health rights of people living
with disability by the service providers. People with disabilities have therefore proposed that service providers take into consideration their concerns
and enable them to access the same services as any other citizens of Lesotho. Stakeholders concerned in the matter included Parliament Portfolio Committee on Social Cluster,Lesotho Civil Society Organizations,
International Civil Society Organization, United Nations and Government Ministries. The concerned parties have made commitments to address this issue.
Lesotho National Federation of Organization of the Disabled (LNFOD) Executive Director Nkhasi Sefuthi confirmed that most health centers do not have skills to assist people living with disability and thus
do not get satisfactory health services. Exhibits include centers that do not have sign language experts to help them in relevant cases. “We are concerned with the lack of
communication and cooperation among the advocacy civil society organization, UN agencies and the government agencies working on sexual and reproductive health
rights in Lesotho and within the region. This negatively affects efforts towards the realization of sexual and reproductive health rights of people with
disability,” he said. Sefuthi said people living with disability have the right to access health services like any other Lesotho citizens hence LNFOD’s efforts to involve concerned parties in addressing the
matter. In addressing the issue, the government ministries have vowed to train and enroll law enforcers and other line ministries in sign language through the Ministry of Health (MoH) by next
week and also to advocate for the amendment of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to accommodate different disabilities through the ministry of Police by 2020. The ministry have also promised to ensure the ministry of health has at least one sign language interpreter in each hospital by 2024.
