Malawi: Disabilities Council Satisfied With Progress On the New National Disability Policy Review

19 July 2024
Nyasa Times (Leeds)
By Fazilla Tembo

Malawi Council for Disability Affairs (MACODA) Director General George Chiusiwa has expressed satisfaction over the progress so far made in the review of National Disability Policy.

The new policy will operationalize the newly enacted Persons with Disability Act 2024.

Speaking during an interview with Nyasa Times, Chiusiwa was optimistic that soon government will approve and adopt the revised policy.

"This is an exciting development considering that the new policy will help the implementation of the new act particularly in addressing emerging issues regarding the the rights of persons with disabilities in Malawi," he said.

Chiusiwa noted that the new policy has a comprehensive human rights approach in line with the United Nations Convention on Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the African Disability Protocol and new disability legislation.

He added that the policy will be an important tool to guide service provision, programming and implementation of interventions to attain disability inclusive development in the country in a human rights landscape.

The new policy will focus on issues like access to justice, provision of assistive devices to persons with disabilities and a comprehensive consideration of priority areas using human rights lens, he emphasized.

Chiusiwa therefore urged government agencies, stakeholders like Organization of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to fully popularize the policy once government approves.

The new policy replaces the National Policy on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (2006).

Read the original article on Nyasa Times.

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