Talking about Health and Wellness for Visually Impaired in Nepal, people with disabilities are more likely to be sick than the general population. This could be because of a number of different factors, which may be different for people with different disabilities. For instance, people who are blind because of diabetes may also have kidney disease.
People who are blind or have low vision are also more likely to have other health problems that aren’t directly related to their vision loss. People with disabilities are more likely to be poor and left out of social groups, which can lead to a co-morbidity. Barriers that make it hard to do things and being alone can affect disabled people in many ways.
Organizations are just as important to health as the risks that come with bringing a disabling health condition. Poor social and physical settings can make primary conditions worse, make secondary effects of primary conditions worse, and cause people to have more than one condition at the same time. As an example, people with disabilities are more likely to be abused, poor, and left out of social groups.
Adults with disabilities are four times more likely than adults without disabilities to say their health is fair or poor, according to a study from the United States. One study that looked at 30 low- and middle-income countries found that disabled boys and girls were much more likely to say they had a serious illness than disabled children who did not have disabilities.
While Nepal has not released a similar study just yet, we can relate to the idea that visually impaired people, like people with other disabilities, need to see a doctor every once in a while.
Researchers who looked at the World Health Surveys for the World Report on Disability found that both men and women with disabilities were much more likely than people without disabilities to say they needed healthcare services but weren’t getting them.
When talking about the health needs of visually impaired people, it is important to take into account the better technologies, health care, and social services that are becoming more available to people with all kinds of impairments.
Overcoming barriers to accessing health care services for the visually impaired in Nepal
Actions that need to be taken to make sure that disability-inclusive health systems are put in place, such as mainstreaming, participation, funding, accountability, and raising awareness, Barriers need to be taken down so that people with disabilities can get the same access to health care services as everyone else.
The key dimensions must be thought about in order to get rid of barriers and improve the health of people who are blind or have low vision. There are already some strict rules and laws in Nepal, but they are not being followed yet. So, rather than making changes to policies, more work needs to be put into updating services and programs.
What else should be changed, though?
1. Coverage of Services Improvement
Improving coverage of healthcare services to include people with disabilities will require interventions at the supply side (i.e., from the healthcare services) and the demand side (i.e., for people with visual impairment).
We typically see the services provided in city areas, yet the rural areas still remain unnoticed. Improved coverage can also be achieved by promoting the inclusion of visually impaired people in healthcare system decision-making or delivery, whether at the central or local level.
2. Health Promotion Improvement
Health promotions can focus on getting people to do things that are good for their health, like getting vaccinated, getting screened, and getting regular checkups. Health promotion activities must include people who are blind or have low vision by being available in the right formats, having pictures of people, and talking about specific health problems that people with disabilities face.
The programs can directly improve health by doing things like teaching parents, friends, and family members how important it is for the child to get screened for vision problems. The program should also have bigger goals and work to teach people about albinism so that attitudes change and discrimination stops. This will lead to longer-lasting improvements in health and living conditions.
3. Early identification and intervention Improvement
Delayed identification of visually impaired children means that opportunities are lost for early intervention, as a result of which the healing of the child may not be maximized. Vision screening occurs routinely in schools across the world at different stages of childhood.
Providing free tests, or at least improving the affordability of services for people with disabilities, is a critical step in improving coverage. One good solution Nepal has followed is making limited healthcare provisions for people who receive the Disability Allowance.
4. Quality of healthcare services Improvement
Along with expanding coverage, the most important thing is to make services better. Poorly trained healthcare professionals are a major contributor to the issues with poor services for blind and visually impaired people. Because of this, they don’t know much about impairment and disability, inclusive practice and reasonable accommodations, or how to talk to people with disabilities in a way that works for all of them.
Health professionals might be able to have better interactions with people who have disabilities if they are allowed to take extra time for consultations. Because they need to be flexible, many clinicians are less likely to meet the needs of people with disabilities.
5. Monitoring the inclusion of visually impaired people in healthcare
Underlying all of these approaches is the need for more evidence to document difficulties in accessing healthcare, as accountability is crucial for ensuring that healthcare services are inclusive. One option is the routine auditing of the accessibility of health care units, looking beyond physical accessibility alone.
Monitoring the inclusion of visually impaired persons in the healthcare system may also reveal where there are gaps in provision.
Conclusion: Health and Wellness for Visually Impaired in Nepal
Giving blind people better access to healthcare that is open to everyone and doesn’t discriminate will help make sure their rights are respected and will also help people with disabilities get better health and a better quality of life.
Bettering the health of people who are blind or have low vision will lead to fewer illnesses and deaths. Better health will also help people exercise their other rights, like the right to an education, a job, and to be included in society. This will increase well-being, reduce poverty, and help people participate in society more.
READ OUR BLOGS:
Rise of Ocular Problems in Nepal: How Can They Be Managed?
Blindness and Visual Impairment and Their Causes in Nepal
Journey to Independence: Empowering Visually Impaired Youth through Vocational Training in Nepal
Visual Impairment and Transition from High School in Nepal
Government Contribution for the Blind in Nepal: Is it Enough?
Education for Special Children in Nepal: Visually Impaired Rights