Staff Reporter
Begum Samina Alvi, the wife of President of Pakistan on Wednesday said a system of nationwide registration of differently-abled people was crucial to ensure their access to the facilities provided by the government, particularly in the areas of education and health.
“The registration will help categorization of differently-abled persons and ensure them facilities as per their disability and individual needs,” she said in her address at virtual Policy Roundtable themed ‘Mainstreaming Interventions to address Disabilities in the National Youth Priority Action Agenda (NYPA)’.
Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari, parliamentarians, experts on disability, representatives of World Health Organization (WHO) and officials of Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives participated via video-link.
Begum Alvi said a survey about differently-abled people being conducted under Ehsaas socio-welfare programme would complete by June, however stressed that inclusion of such persons in census was equally important for their accurate categorization.
“This data can guide the government in allocating special resources for health and education facilities for differently-abled people,” she added.
She said one in seven people worldwide had disability, adding that by year 2050, the population over 60 years of age would touch two billion needing physical aid.
She said an estimated 15 percent of the world’s population suffered from some form of disability and according to preliminary estimates, Pakistan had the same percentage of its population with disabilities.
