NGO seeks expansion of COVID-19 palliatives support to people with disabilities

Agency Reporter

Human right organisation, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has called for the for expansion of COVID-19 palliatives support to include more Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in Lagos State.

CCD also called for the need to re-design the administrative component of the Covid-19 palliative support scheme with a view to effectively covering more PwDs.

The organisation in a survey designed and implemented to assess the effectiveness of the Information Education Communications (IEC) and palliative models in five.

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States, namely Akwa lbom, Enugu, Lagos, Kaduna and Kano Sates in Nigeria, noted that the strategy for distribution of palliatives was poor.

The Executive Director, David Anyaele, while recommending that clauses in national and state disability laws should be leveraged on to enhance the participation of PwDs in the distribution of the Covid-19 palliatives and other socio-economic support schemes, noted that provisions should be made for the screening of PwDs for Covid-19 so that those infected can benefit from the free treatment by government.

Anyaele said the composition of various COVID-19 committees at the states and federal level without the inclusion of PwDs only affirm the discriminatory practices.

“There is a need to restructure some of the committees with the inclusion of PwDs who will be able to advice and guide on the best practices in reaching out to PwDs in terms of distribution of palliatives and communicating the community persons.

“Provisions should be made for the screening of PwDs for Covid-19 so that those infected can benefit from the free treatment by government. It is advisable to identify and train trainers and support them with necessary logistics to step-down training to members of their community or clusters.