Community Development and Social Services Minister Doreen Mwamba has said the New Dwan Government will endeavor to provide assistive devices to over 2.1 million persons with disabilities in Zambians to help them live productive lives.
Speaking after visiting Leeds City Council, where she undertook a tour of the Assisted Living run by Leeds City Council in the United Kingdom, the Minister said the department is willing to donate various assistive devices that disabled people in Zambia can use.
“My Ministry is mandated to protect and support the physically challenged in the country, and I want to assure the nation at large that the New Dawn Government is committed to improving the welfare of persons with disabilities and ensuring that their lives are better. President Hakainde Hichilema wants the disabled to be incorporated in national development because he does not want to leave anyone behind,” she said.
Ms Mwamba said she has established connections with institutions that have assistive devices in the UK and Italy.
The Minister said people with disabilities were willing to live productive lives in society but lacked necessary assistive devices to have access to social amenities as everyone else.
Ms Mwamba has promised that upon her return to Zambia, her Ministry will undertake a countrywide tour to ascertain different impairments prevailing in the country and provide those in need the right assistive devices.
She said assistive devices should be suitable for the environment and individual characteristics of the user to ensure they are safe, stating that poor-quality assistive devices can lead to secondary health complications.
This is contained in a statement issued by Abigail Chaponda First Secretary for Press and Public Relations Zambia High Commission in the United Kingdom.
