Friday, July 8, 2011

People with disability and the Millennium Development Goals.

While I was trying to find resources for the Global Disability Rights Library this week I found 64/131 UN resolution stating on integrating people with disability in the millennium goals implementation. From that resolution I thought to write my opinion and concern in the process of people with disability integration.
According the 2011 World Health report more than one billion people in the world live with some form of disability, of who nearly 200 million experience considerable difficulties in functioning. In the years ahead, disability will be an even greater concern because its prevalence is on the rise. This due in one hand to different wars which make many casualties, HIV Aids which is making many people very disable, and in the other hand this is due to ageing populations and the higher risk of disability in older people as well as the global increase in chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health disorders.
The 8th September 2008, in New York City, heads of State and Government gathered at the UN headquarters and came over with 8 millenniums following goals
• Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
• Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
• Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
• Goal 5: Improve maternal health
• Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
• Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
However, people with disabilities, are neglected while implementing these goals even if they represent an estimated 10 per cent of the world’s population, of whom 80 per cent live in developing countries. How the world will achieve these goals while people with disabilities are subject to multiple or aggravated forms of discrimination or while this important population is somehow invisible in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Millennium Development Goals?
Something should be done to integrate this important population within the implementation of these millennium development goals.
For example in many countries of the world, the lack of data and information on disability and the situation of persons with disabilities at the national level is contributing to the invisibility of persons with disabilities in official statistics. This presents an obstacle to achieving development planning and implementation that is inclusive of persons with disabilities.
I argue you guys, in our movement of disability rights to raise your voice and to knock on where you can to claim disable people integration within the Millennium Development Goals.

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