HIV, disability and rehabilitation: considerations for policy and practice
The issue of interrelations between HIV and disability has not received sufficient attention. People with disabilities are one of the key populations at higher risk of exposure to HIV and people living with HIV may develop impairments and disabilities as a result of the disease and side effects of treatments. In Southern and Eastern Africa, where the prevalence of HIV is relatively high, we can expect to see similar issues of disability rise, resulting in the likelihood of more people in need of access to rehabilitation services and financial grants. This issue brief addresses the following: issues regarding the definition of “disability”; implications for rehabilitation services; and finally, considerations for “disability” grants. The drive to provide universal access to HIV treatment and care for all is in motion. We now need to broaden our understanding of “care” to include rehabilitation, and our understanding of “all” to included people with disabilities.
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