Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative in Pakistan, Dr Palitha Mahipala on Thursday handed over assistive devices to the government of Balochistan for persons with disability.
Addressing the ceremony, Dr Palitha said that WHO is working with the Government of Pakistan to advocate change and public awareness regarding disability and to formulate strategies which promote access to healthcare services, rehabilitation and support for disabled persons.
He said that WHO is striving hard to ensure that disability inclusion is consistently and systematically integrated into political, cultural, economic and social arenas of life.
He said that disability is a human right and development issue and persons with disability face participation limitations while engaging in various social roles.
He said that assistive technology is the combination of assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for disabled persons to ensure their equal participation, enhance their functioning and independence in a social milieu.
He said that WHO through its ‘Protection Rights of Older People with Disabilities’ (PROD) project extended support for improved access to high-quality assistive technology to support mobility of older people and persons with physical disabilities.
