COVID-19: Additional Challenge To PWDs

 COVID-19: Additional Challenge To PWDs

 Emma Black

 In Freetown, Salimatu Laggah uses crutches to move around. She lives along ECOWAS Street with a large community of friends, neighbors and support aides.

Laggah was heavily pregnant during the second national COVID-19 lockdown in May 2020 and went into early labour on the second day of the lockdown. Laggah’s support person tried to find a vehicle to take her to the hospital but no cars, taxis or buses were moving for those three days.

On the third day of the lockdown, Laggah struggled with contractions and fear as the frantic search for transportation continued. Finally, a local disability advocacy NGO was contacted. They had a vehicle with a government-issued pass and were able to pick Laggah up and take her to the Cottage Hospital.

She delivered a baby girl via cesarean section on the day the lockdown was lifted. Laggah’s husband missed the birth of his baby daughter because he was in Bo and could not travel because of the inter-district travel restrictions.

 The President of the Sierra Leone Union of Disability Issues (SLUDI), Santigie Kargbo, said, “Many people living with disabilities have multiple underlying health conditions because they are on the streets begging, exposed to all kinds of weather and generally live in deplorable, crowded and filthy conditions.”

He added that, “Just their lifestyle and living conditions can contribute to disease transmission, which makes PWDs more vulnerable.”

Harold Thomas, the Communications Pillar Lead at the National COVID-19 Response Centre (NaCOVERC), said they have not kept “disability” disaggregated data on COVID-19 patients or in the coronavirus death statistics. Thomas added that, “NaCOVERC doesn’t have statistics on disabilities. I don’t know if they were disaggregated by PWD.”

But, Santigie Kargbo, of SLUDI, said there were at least two people living with disabilities who died of COVID-19, out of the 121+ people, and probably several others who contracted the virus.

 Augustine Alfred Kalokoh lives in the same building as Laggah along Ecowas Street. Kalokoh uses a wheelchair to move from his one-room home to the Cotton Tree in central Freetown to take up his position as one of about 20 street beggars. He said.

 “My wife and children were doing petty trading before the pandemic but under the COVID-19 restrictions they stopped.  At first, we didn’t understand what COVID was and why we were being told to do different things and to stay home. We finished all the market and had no money.”

 Harold Thomas, of NaCOVERC, said they have tried to accommodate those people living with disabilities in their messaging and preventative measures. He said, “We use sign language interpreters during press briefings on TV but unfortunately, for the blind, nothing much has been done.”

Thomas added, “Interventions and communications were created and catered for everyone… We are dealing with the general public and messages are for everyone.” He said, “We have not left them behind… but we couldn’t cater for everyone with our meagre resources. We have been working with the Social Welfare Ministry and several disabled umbrella groups.”

 The SLUDI President, Kargbo, said, “Not much was done from NaCOVERC. The messaging about COVID-19 was not disabled friendly… What about crutches that need constant washing… Wheelchairs that are constantly being handled. And, washing hands or keeping hands clean was not usually possible for the sight and hearing impaired.” Kargbo added wearing masks was especially difficult for those who read lips or have hearing difficulties.

 “Each category of people living with disabilities have different challenges trying to abide by NaCOVERC prevention regulations.” He cited the unrealistic expectation of “no touching” and “physical distancing” as impossibilities for those who rely on aides/helpers to move around, dress, eat, etc.

 According to James Taiwo Cullen of the National Commission for Persons with Disability, In December 2020, the Commission undertook an assessment survey to gauge the impact of COVID 19 on Persons with Disabilities.

The report highlighted the gravity of the COVID 19 and how it invariably affected the livelihood and living conditions of Persons with Disabilities. The survey result suggested that the COVID 19 has disproportionately affected Persons with Disabilities either directly or indirectly. The average income generated per month ranges from 300,000, 500,000, to 1, 500,000 Leones per month. 45% of people surveyed indicated that the pandemic affected their financial situation. 20% of respondents said the pandemic “obliterated their earnings”.

Momoh Mansaray uses crutches to move around and often balances on his one leg while discussing disability issues with colleagues. Mansaray’s wife is a nurse at Ola During Hospital and was caught up in an early COVID-19 scare at the hospital. The Ministry of Health had quarantined nurses on duty and their families were also put on notice. Mansaray said his whole family of 12 were locked in their homes secured by armed military and police officers for three weeks. During that period, they suffered discrimination and stigmatization.

 He added, “Authorities were negligent to provide food. We only got a half bag of rice and three litres of cooking oil with some onions the whole time we were in quarantine.”

The prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, noted, “People with disabilities have been differentially affected by COVID-19 because of three factors: the increased risk of poor outcomes from the disease itself, reduced access to routine health care and rehabilitation, and the adverse social impacts of efforts to mitigate the pandemic.”

 A government building along ECOWAS Street in Freetown houses up to 150 people – many with disabilities, physical challenges, and movement limitations. Naomi Kamara uses a wheelchair to move around. She lives in a tiny, dark room on the main floor of the building. “You see,” she said, “I don’t have room for a bed or any furniture. And there are many other people living in the same compound, same building, same hallway, same outdoor area.

There are so many people around fighting for water, food, space, money or a place to lie down – we can’t abide by any of the COVID-19 prevention measures.” Kamara said the two national lockdowns were especially difficult for those in her building. “We had nowhere to go. We couldn’t move around or even get out of the crowded building.”

This story was put together with support from journalists for human rights (JHR) and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) human rights fellowship.