FACTS ABOUT MALAWIAN SOCIETY ON DISABILITIES
DISABILITY PREVALENCE
It is not surprising that there is such as large proportion of people with disabilities live in rural areas given that 80% of Malawi’s population do not live in urban areas. However, there is still a marked over representation (91%) of disability in rural areas. Access to healthcare an higher rates of poverty leading to disease are some of the driving factors behind this. There is a statistically significant variation in prevalence rates based on the regions in which people live. The Northern, more rural and sparsely populated, has significantly higher prevalence rates for both males and females.
YOUTH AND DISABILITY It is anticipated that the population of Malawi will roughly triple between 2015 and 2050. There will be more young people than ever before. Census data reveals that young people are more likely to experience hearing disabilities than the general population although it is not clear why this would decrease in older age and there is no robust evidence to speak to the variation, which could, for example, be based on higher rates of morbidity.Other than information which can be inferred (such as HIV prevalence or the existence of specific conditions which could constitute a disability), disability was completely absent from theMalawi Demographic and Health Survey(2010). There is a lack of continuity between survey instruments which results in difficulty in comparing data.Causes of disabilityStudies in Malawi show that there is a reasonably high level of awareness of the driving causes of disability however there are still some misconceptions with witchcraft being an attributed driver in some cases. Raising awareness of the causes of disability is an important way in which some cases can be prevented.People with disabilities in Malawi are significantly more likely to have never attended school and are more likely not to be working.Socioeconomic prospects forpeople with disabilities in Malawi are less favourable compared to general population, which in itself has a low baseline. People with disabilities in Malawi are significantly more likely to be chronically poor and live inextreme poverty (Munthali 2016).
It is not surprising that there is such as large proportion of people with disabilities live in rural areas given that 80% of Malawi’s population do not live in urban areas. However, there is still a marked over representation (91%) of disability in rural areas. Access to healthcare an higher rates of poverty leading to disease are some of the driving factors behind this. There is a statistically significant variation in prevalence rates based on the regions in which people live. The Northern, more rural and sparsely populated, has significantly higher prevalence rates for both males and females.
YOUTH AND DISABILITY It is anticipated that the population of Malawi will roughly triple between 2015 and 2050. There will be more young people than ever before. Census data reveals that young people are more likely to experience hearing disabilities than the general population although it is not clear why this would decrease in older age and there is no robust evidence to speak to the variation, which could, for example, be based on higher rates of morbidity.Other than information which can be inferred (such as HIV prevalence or the existence of specific conditions which could constitute a disability), disability was completely absent from theMalawi Demographic and Health Survey(2010). There is a lack of continuity between survey instruments which results in difficulty in comparing data.Causes of disabilityStudies in Malawi show that there is a reasonably high level of awareness of the driving causes of disability however there are still some misconceptions with witchcraft being an attributed driver in some cases. Raising awareness of the causes of disability is an important way in which some cases can be prevented.People with disabilities in Malawi are significantly more likely to have never attended school and are more likely not to be working.Socioeconomic prospects forpeople with disabilities in Malawi are less favourable compared to general population, which in itself has a low baseline. People with disabilities in Malawi are significantly more likely to be chronically poor and live inextreme poverty (Munthali 2016).
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