African countries struggling to achieve disability inclusion in SDGs

He said persons with disabilities are mostly left out during the implementation of some of the goals among the SDGs

By Arthur Sikopo

African governments have been blamed for the current slow inclusion of persons with disability in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

While presenting a paper on “SDGs and Community Based Rehabilitation Country Progress”, Simon Munde , an officer from the Federation of Disability Organisations in Malawi (FEDOMA) observed that persons with disability have not enjoyed the best from the United Nations set SDGs especially Goal number three (3) on Good Health and Well Being.

He said persons with disabilities are mostly left out during the implementation of some of the goals among the SDGs. Mr. Munde said domestication of SDGs has been a problem for most governments, a fact that is side-lining many pwds from development agenda.

Malawi is one of the countries that have been trying to domesticate the SDGs through the Malawi Growth in Development Strategy (MGDS). Mr. Munde has however said it was now incumbent upon persons with disabilities to follow up and hold their leaders accountable.

“In Malawi, we have followed leaders to their offices.  Even if they tell us they are busy, we have not relented but pushed them until they accommodated us. We are happy that today we can see some of our ideas being implemented,” he said further.

He noted that FEDOMA has trained Disabled Peoples Organisation (DPOs) to engage the Government’s Ministry of Disability as well as the United Nations.