Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative, AWWDI, an NGO, has called on the government to train health workers on reproductive and sexual health needs for physically challenged women and girls.
Patience Ogolo-Dickson, the Founder of the group made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria on Friday, in Abuja after a health workers’ workshop.
Ms Ogolo-Dickson said the call was necessitated by the need to address the barriers faced by women and girls with disabilities, especially in communication and access to health care services in primary health care services.
“The health workers also need to know so much about women and girls disabilities and it is good in our health curriculum to have issues of disabilities so that they learn it from their schools.
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“So that when they are working in these facilities, they can provide services for persons with disabilities, they already have an idea of what needs to be done.
“Therefore, health workers need to be trained and to also know how to take care of persons with disabilities, it is good that they know more about disabilities.’’
Ms Ogolo-Dickson, therefore called on the government to prioritise and adopt an enhanced budgetary system that would enable women and girls with disabilities access medical facilities in all health care centres.
“Budget for accessibility of medical facilities and for sign language interpreter in all primary health centres in Nigeria, and assistance to teachers to develop comprehensive sexuality education programmes and teaching resources should be included.’’
Ms Ogolo-Dickson, also stressed the need for the involvement of women and girls with disability in the development of reproductive and sexual health services in all medical facilities.
NAN reports that the workshop was tagged “Prioritising inclusive budgeting for sexual and reproductive health rights of Persons with Disability.
The workshop was organised by a coalition women-led Disabled Persons Organisations Inclusive Friends Association, IFA, Faecare Foundation, Haly Hope Foundation and Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative, AWWDI.
