Africa-Press – Malawi. The Human Rights for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Malawi (WAG) is calling on the government to make sexual and reproductive health services more accessible to girls living with disabilities.
Speaking at a workshop in Lilongwe, WAG nurse Lucretia Kuchande, highlighted the alarming barriers these girls face when accessing sexual and reproductive health services.
“Some of the youth that have speaking and hearing disabilities, they have challanges when they visit our health facility, when they want to explain their problem when there is no one to be able to understand them it becomes a big challange,” Kuchande said.
Kuchande is calling on the government to deploy trained sign language interpreters in hospitals, emphasizing that without them, girls with disabilities are being denied their right to understand their medical conditions and access vital services.
“If its possible government should be able to put in place either individuals that have the skills to interprete sign languages or maybe incorporate into the training of health workers, so that they are able to read sign language, communicate using sign language so that they can easily interact with their clients in the hospital,” she said.
WAG National Coordinator Stella Konya stressed the importance of parental support, urging families to educate their children with disabilities and empower them to demand their health rights.
“Government alone cannot solve the problem, families and communities must work together to ensure children with disabilities can express themselves, seek help when needed, and live dignified lives.” Konya said.
The workshop aimed to improve access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) for girls with disabilities, who face numerous challenges when seeking healthcare.
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