Disability considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak

Disability considerations during the COVID-19 outbreakOn 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), due to the speed and scale of transmission. WHO and public health authorities around the world are taking action to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. 1 Certain populations, such as those with disability, may be impacted more significantly by COVID-19. This impact can be mitigated if appropriate actions and protective measures are taken by key stakeholders. 1 https: //www. who. int/publications-detail/critical-preparedness-readiness-and-response-actionsfor-covid-19COVID-19 www. who. int/emergencies/ diseases/novelcoronavirus-2019 NCDs and mental health www. who. int/ncdswww. who. int/mentalₕealth Disability www. who. int/healthtopics/disabilityCOVID-19 Why are additional considerations needed for people with disability during the COVID-19 outbreak? Actions need to be taken to ensure that people with disability can always access the health-care services, water and sanitation services and public health information they require, including during the COVID-19 outbreak. People with disability may be at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 because of: -Barriers to implementing basic hygiene measures, such as handwashing (e. g. handbasins, sinks or water pumps may be physically inaccessible, or a person may have physical difficulty rubbing their hands together thoroughly) ;-Difficulty in enacting social distancing because of additional support needs or because they are institutionalized;-The need to touch things to obtain information from the environment or for physical support;-Barriers to accessing public health information. People with disability may be at greater risk of developing severe disease if they become infected because of: -The pre-existing health condition underlying the disability; and-Barriers to accessing health care. People with disability may also be disproportionately impacted by the outbreak because of serious disruptions to the services they rely on. The barriers experienced by people with disability can be reduced if key stakeholders take appropriate action. 7 https: //apps. who. int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/330987/WHO-nCov-IPCMasks-2020. 1-eng.