The Centre for Research and Development Alternatives (CREDA) has called on government, among other stakeholders in the health sector to ensure that the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of persons living with disabilities (PwDs) are not compromised.
They also called on health care providers, especially nurses and midwives to end all forms of stigmatisation targeted at PwDs particularly pregnant women to enable them have access to proper ante -natal and post-natal services.
Mr. Abukari Iddrisu, Programmes Manager of CREDA made the call during a stakeholders’ engagement with PwDs in Tamale.
It was organised by the CREDA under the Power to Youth Project being implemented in partnership with Norsaac, Songtaba, GH SRHR Alliance and Youth Advocacy Ghana.
It brought together representatives of youth groups from beneficiary districts including Mion, Wunlesi, Kpandai, Tamale Metropolitan and the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region.
Mr. Iddrisu said the engagement was to empower adolescent girls and young women living with disability with advocacy and influencing skills to help them demand their SHR.
He said it was also to solicit the support of stakeholders to address barriers to violent-free sexual and reproductive health and rights for young women and adolescent girls living with disability in the region.
Mrs. Abubakari Sahadatu Nima, Northern Regional Vice President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, said the non-availability of sign language interpreters at health facilities coupled with high rise buildings in key government institutions was a serious threat to the health needs of PwDs and breach of their basic rights.
She lamented that most PwDs were denied quality health care because of lack of sign language interpreters at the health facilities.
Ms. Annika Kelber, representative of Norsaac under the Power to Youth Project expressed need to support PwDs by providing facilities and engaging in sensitisation programmes to protect them against abuse and neglect at health facilities.
