Cape Town - Older people are more vulnerable to becoming disabled.
This is according to the faculty of medicine and health sciences at the University of Stellenbosch. The medical faculty issued the statement while the country is observing its national disability awareness month, which ends on December 3.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than a billion people in the world – 15 percent of the global population – have a disability severe enough to limit their participation in family, community and socio-economic life.
Eighty percent of those billion people live in low- and middle-income countries, where access to basic health and social services was often limited.
The 21st century would see populations that live longer and thus need to remain independent, healthy and productive. Common medical products alone cannot solve this new emerging challenge and there will be a growing need for assistive technology (AT).
People with disabilities, elderly people and others in need have to rely on AT to function well and perform tasks they would otherwise not be able to.
To assess and address the need and availability of AT, the WHO initiated the Global Co-operation on Assistive Technology (Gate) in 2013.
The need to access AT is becoming as important as access to any other medical or health product.
“All of us are vulnerable to disability or functional decline as we age. Increased longevity leads to a myriad issues and the majority of older people will need AT to remain healthy, active and productive,” Dr Gubela Mji said.
Mji is the head of the Centre for Rehabilitation Studies (CRS) at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The CRS has joined the WHO in its efforts to promote and facilitate dissemination of information about the Gate initiative to its member countries in Africa.
“AT is the tool, and often the first step, for any next steps to ensure people with disabilities are equal beneficiaries of, and contributors to, any development process,” Mji said.
Through a series of surveys in all its member countries, the WHO is designing a priority assistive product list of the 50 most essential ADs to assist member countries to provide the most effective service to people with disabilities, elderly people and others in need.
This process is due to be completed by May 2016.
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