Attachments
Background
COVID-19 presents particular risks for many persons with disabilities and elderly around the world.
Governments and partners should make extra efforts to protect the rights of persons with disabilities in responding to the pandemic, including ensuring that public health information is accessible to all.
Persons with disabilities and elderly, potentially face higher exposure to the virus, are at risk of being discriminated against and face various environmental and attitudinal barriers to access critical information, including on prevention and assistance. Similarly, to persons with disabilities, older persons, young children, those who are illiterate or have low literacy levels and those who speak languages other than the main local language, might face issues in accessing, understanding and using the information shared.
Messaging that is accessible, appropriate and disability, age and gender sensitive can greatly reduce the risks encountered by persons with disabilities and others facing access barriers to information. Hence, it is important for risk communication and community engagement stakeholders to spearhead inclusive messaging across COVID 19 prevention and response activities in South Sudan. With a population of 13, 300,7301 , it can then be assumed that at least 1,995,0002 of South Sudan population are boys and girls, men and women with disabilities who experience hearing, speaking, reading, writing, and/or understanding difficulties, and who use different ways to communicate than people who do not have these disabilities. In addition, early data globally suggest that a majority of COVID-19 deaths have occurred among elderly and among persons with serious underlying health conditions hence important to target them with risk communication & prevention messages. In South Sudan, UNFPA estimates 3%4 of 13, 300,7305 South Sudanese population to be above 65 years of age. Hence, there are over 399,021 elderly in South Sudan. According to a World Bank report, South Sudan illiteracy levels are at 65%6 which is means that illiteracy is high. All these groups have the same rights to communicate as people with no difficulties. These rights are protected under the South Sudan Transitional Constitution, 2011 Article 29, 30, 32 and 139(d), Sustainable Development Goal 16:10, UNCRPD article 5, 9, 21 and 24 which set out legal requirements to ensure that information is accessible to all including persons with disabilities and elderly.