Dailynewsun News Desk
International Day of Persons with Disabilities is being observed in the country as elsewhere in the globe today (Thursday).
This year, the theme of the day is “Not all Disabilities are Visible” also focuses on spreading awareness and understanding of disabilities that are not immediately apparent, such as mental illness, chronic pain or fatigue, sight or hearing impairments, diabetes, brain injuries, neurological disorders, learning differences and cognitive dysfunctions, among others.
UNESCO is organizing a Global Awareness Raising Campaign “Tell our stories, enable our rights”. December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).
Marking the day, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in society, including in COVID-19 response and recovery.
The UN Chief said “In all our actions, our goal is clear: a world in which all persons can enjoy equal opportunities, participate in decision-making and truly benefit from economic, social, political and cultural life. That is a goal worth fighting for.”
He made these comments on the 13th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion people – about 15% of the world’s population – experience some form of disability. 
This figure is predicted to rise given population ageing and an increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases. While disability correlates with disadvantage, not all people with disabilities are equally disadvantaged. Much depends on the context in which they live, and whether or not they have equal access to health, education and employment, among others.
In 2017 WHO has made headway on a number of initiatives which further implementation of the recommendations of the landmark World report on disability and the WHO global disability action plan 2014-2021.
In February through a global gathering of rehabilitation experts entitled “Rehabilitation 2030”, WHO garnered the commitment of participants to help governments build comprehensive service delivery models, develop a strong multidisciplinary workforce, expand financing mechanisms and enhance health information systems, all in an attempt to meet the ever-increasing demand for rehabilitation services.
