The Malawi Human Rights Commission has released its latest report, Human Rights Based Research into COVID-19 Related Violations with Focus on Persons with Disabilities, with findings that the disabled people’s right to health, economic activity, liberty and movement, employment and access to justice were all negatively impacted during the pandemic.

The research is the culmination of a qualitative study with disabled people’s organisations, disabled individuals and more than eight major health facilities across Malawi.

Overall, the research found that the COVID-19 response in Malawi:

• lacked consultation and involvement with disabled people in the planning, design and execution strategy
• discriminated against disabled people by not using accessible formats to disseminate health information
• did not accurately gather data about COVID-related deaths among the disabled population

The report makes a series of recommendations to Government and other stakeholders. The Malawi Human Rights Commission has called for a complete redesign of the COVID response with consultation between the Presidential Taskforce for COVID-19 and disabled people’s organisations. The Commission also recommended that hand-washing points, vaccination sites and isolation facilities should be built with accessibility in mind, in order to uphold the right to health for disabled people.

Read the full report and recommendations: Human Rights Based Research into COVID-19 Related Violations with Focus on Persons with Disabilities.