The Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (TANGO) in collaboration with the Gambia Federation for Disabilities (GFD), have partnered to raise awareness and educate individuals with disabilities on the importance of polio vaccination.
The campaign which is aims to address the challenges faced by people with disabilities in accessing vital health services, was held at the Gambia Organization for Visually Impaired (GOVI) premises, with a call for greater inclusivity in the national vaccination efforts.
The collaboration is part of a larger strategy meant to ensure that individuals with disabilities are not left behind in the fight against polio.
The initiative, according to the officials, is critical for the fact that people with disabilities are often at a higher risk of facing barriers to health care, including access to vaccines, due to physical, social, or logistical challenges.
The event brought together 40 participants from different disability groups including Gambia Organization of the Visually Impaired, known as GOVI, Gambia Association of the Physically Disabled, Gambia Association of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (GADHOH), Association of Gambia Albinos and National Union for the Disabled Youth, among others.
Speaking at the launching event, Magistrate Muhammed Krubally, the chairperson of GFD, spoke at length on the significance of the partnership, adding: "We partnered with TANGO in order to ensure that polio vaccine as one of the most important vaccines is being extended to everyone, in particular the persons with disabilities as it prevents people from diseases."
In order to mitigate key barriers to vaccination for persons with disabilities, he said, they brought together different disability groups with a view to not only empower them, but to also inform them on the importance of vaccination and health care.
Magistrate Krubally said Article 8 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Section 7 of Persons with Disabilities Act 2021, emphasises they need to sensitise, encourage persons with disabilities to take polio vaccine as a preventive method.
"This is one of the campaigns and one of the sensitisation in order to ensure that persons with disabilities who are mothers and children with disabilities will also take vaccines in order to protect themselves.
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Concluding, he said: "We want them to take the vaccine in order to cure any issue that is polio-related, so that at least they can also live a very healthy and dignified life."
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