A lack of reliable statistics on disability in the region is a major impediment in formulating and implementing national policies on disability, experts said yesterday.
Professionals in the field of disability and members of the government and non-government organisations from various Arab countries expressed the view during the roundtable discussion organised by Takamul, entitled "Arab Framework for Disability Policy and Action".
Takamul is the official body appointed by Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,VicePresident and Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, to implement the recommendations initiated during last year's Arab Children Health Congress held under the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The meeting aims at catalysing discussions across the Arab World to set up a unified framework for disabilityrelated policy and action during the UN declared Arab Decade for Disabled Persons (2004-2013).
Speaking to Emirates Today on the sidelines of the conference, Dr Haider Saeed Al Yousuf, Executive Director of Takamul said there is no clear data of disabled people in the region. "We are depending on the WHO [World Health Organisation] statistics. We will soon conduct a demographic study on the prevalence of disability in the UAE." When asked about the statistics on disabled people collected during the UAE-wide census, Al Yousef replied: "We don't think it is reliable, as the questions are not answered properly." Dr Nawaf Kabbara, head of the Arab Organisation of Disabled Persons, based in Beirut, said that statistics on disability in the Arab World are very poor.
"A recent study on the available statistics in the region shows that only two per cent of the population is disabled. It shows no serious work is done to collect solid data and formulate and implement policies accordingly," he said.
Mariam Al Roumi, Minister of Social Affairs speaking on behalf of Princess Haya, said all Arab countries should adopt the principle of full rights for the disabled as it is linked to the legal and ethical frameworks already in place.
By Anjana Sankar
© Emirates Today 2007
