| dc.description |
Across the world, about 15% of people are currently living with disability, and the prevalence is on the rise due to increasing life expectancy and higher incidence of chronic disease (WHO 2011). The most recent estimates indicate that over one billion people worldwide live with some form of disability, and the large majority of these disabled individuals reside in low-income countries, where access to proper infrastructure and quality services can be difficult (Ifakara Health Institute 2013).
This case study will discuss physical disability, excluding blindness and deafness, and thus focus predominantly on mobility-impaired individuals. Persons with physical disability face many barriers to accessing health care and rehabilitation services that are both high quality and affordable.
Throughout Tanzania, disability in one form or another limits about 8% of the total population (Njelesani et al 2011). Moshi, a district in the Northern Kilimanjaro region, housed more than 500 persons with physical disability in 2014, and is also home to Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), which is one of the few facilities in Tanzania that is equipped to deal with the treatment and rehabilitation of persons with physical disability. Many patients come from afar to receive the services offered at KCMC. For this reason, Moshi will be the specific region of focus for this case study.
The main stakeholders in implementing and addressing the issues of barriers to health care accessibility among persons with physical disability in Moshi include several Tanzanian government ministries such as the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children (MoHCDGEC), and the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication. Others include international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), District and Municipal Social Welfare Officers, social support providers (such as community-based rehabilitation centers, and non-governmental organizations), health care providers, families, and persons with physical disability themselves.
In this case study, we propose policy options that aim to address the barriers to health care accessibility among persons with physical disability in Moshi through infrastructural measures, health care and rehabilitation support.
xi
Your assignment is to use the information provided about barriers to health care accessibility that persons with physical disability in Moshi currently face. Considering the effectiveness, equity, time of implementation, and cost-effectiveness of each policy, decide which would be most suitable for implementation and defend your answer. If none of these policies seem to address the issues you see most pressing, develop your own policy and defend that against the presented options. |
|