Increase focus on disability, or the targets for the Millennium Development Goals will not be met, says global health expert
Media Release, Thursday 20 November 2008
“Disability has to be addressed if the Millennium Development Goals are to be achieved,” says Beth Fuller, Disability Program Coordinator of the University of Melbourne’s Nossal Institute for Global Health.
Ms Fuller will present the issue alongside other Australian and global health experts at the 4th annual Nossal Institute Global Health Forum held today at the University of Melbourne.
The forum has attracted leaders from the World Health Organization, World Bank, AusAID, Oxfam, World Vision and notaries from the Asia Pacific region.
The World Bank estimates that 20% of the world’s poorest people are disabled.
“There are approx 650 million people who live with a disability worldwide, and 80% of these people live in developing countries (UNDP). They are viewed as the world’s largest minority, “Ms Fuller said.
“For decades, development programs around the world have failed to adequately address the needs of this vast and highly marginalized proportion of the population, “she said.
“Disability has been seen as a specialist area. But there is increasing recognition of the need to mainstream disability within development programs and policies in all sectors. “
“This is clearly outlined in Article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” she said.
The Millennium Development Goals include goals such as poverty eradication, universal primary education, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, and combating HIV/AIDS.
“Given the huge impact of disability on poverty, the fact that 35% of the world’s children who are not in school have impairments, the greatly increased mortality rates amongst children with disabilities, and the studies that are starting to show the significant vulnerability of HIV transmission to people with disabilities – it is clear that without a dramatically increased focus on the issue of disability, the targets for the MDGs will not be met,” she said.
The World Bank’s Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, Senior Operations Officer – Disability, is a key note speaker at the Forum.
“What we want to achieve is inclusive development and recognition that disability is a cross-cutting issue – relevant to health, education and the labour market. It’s about social inclusion and about developing good policies that include and recognize vulnerability and all marginalized communities, “she said.
“For example, when we look at gender or child protection, there should be disability aspects to those as well.”
“The World Bank has been playing a lead role in disability and development as well as health financing and it’s exciting that the Nossal Institute is convening this meeting,” says Professor Graham Brown, Director of the Nossal Institute for Global Health.
“A key role of the Nossal Institute is to build the capacity of the development sector in Australia and partners in the Asia Pacific region, and to build the evidence base around effective practice so that programs are inclusive of disability", he said.
For interviews contact
Rebecca Scott, Media Officer University of Melbourne
Mobile: 0417 164 791
For more information visit www.ni.unimelb.edu.au/NewEvents/events.html
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