As criticism from Ugandan elites towards the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) intensifies regarding the recently published final results of the National Housing and Population Census, Members of Parliament representing Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) have dismissed the statistics and are advocating for a reassessment.
In response to the findings indicating a nearly 50% decrease in the number of persons with disabilities (PwDs), MP Alex Ndeezi has proposed that the results be put on hold.
He advocates for a thorough review by a team of multi-disciplinary experts to ensure accurate and transparent disability statistics.
“From this, a disability monograph should be produced as soon as possible-possibly in the next two months in the spirit of leaving no one behind,” he noted.
The statement, which was seen by the Ugnewsline, highlighted concerns regarding the 2024 census.
Ndeezi pointed out significant discrepancies in the disability data presented in the current NHPC report for 2024 (pages 261-272), emphasizing the urgent need for a revision of the statistics.
He said that if the figures cannot be rectified, similar to the corrections made in other areas such as tribal statistics, it raises serious questions.
He noted a shocking decline in reported disability prevalence, plummeting from 12.4% in 2014 and 13.5% in 2017 to just 5.7% in 2024.
This drastic change suggests that the number of persons with disabilities (PWDs) has fallen from 6.4 million to 3 million.
“Where did the 3.4 million go? They either died or were not counted, and no Ugandan has acquired a disability in the last 10 years,” he questioned.
He underscored that this questionable and flawed prevalence is being reported at a time when evidence suggests otherwise, as various factors indicate an increase in disability rates.
Ndeezi pointed out that globally, a growing population typically correlates with a rise in disability occurrences.
He referenced the surge in disabling diseases and epidemics over the past decade, including nodding syndrome, Ebola, COVID-19, and more recently, viral conjunctivitis (Red Eye), among others.
“This does not mean that we refute good progress in immunisation and other preventive measures, However, it is a known fact that some disabilities will still happen even if prevention is at 100%. Studies indicate that our prevention of disabling conditions is way below 30%,” he added.
He cited several factors contributing to the challenges in early disability detection, such as the restricted capabilities of Health Centre IIIs, the lack of proper equipment for Village Health Teams, and insufficient early assessment skills among others.
The MP pointed out that even in developed nations, where prevention efforts exceed 90%, they still experience stable or rising rates of disability due to population growth.
He emphasized that sedentary lifestyles are becoming more common, which in turn leads to a rise in disabling conditions, including various Non-Communicable Diseases that significantly impact disability rates.
“Uganda remains one of the top countries in Africa in terms of traffic accidents. This factor cannot therefore explain the reduction in disability prevalence,” he added.
Ndeezi also pointed out that additional surveys, such as the Uganda Functional Difficulties Survey (UFDS) conducted in 2017, indicate that the national disability prevalence is even higher than the 12.4% reported in 2014.
“We doubt if the preparation and collection of data on disability involved consultation with Ministries, Department and Agencies who are experts on the subject,” he added.
He urged for the swift advancement of the UFDS to ensure that the elements of disability are accurately and thoroughly explained.
“This will aid in the national programming for the Fourth National Development Plan and possibly compensate for the substantial errors in the main census report by deploying trained teams and consulting experts in disability,” he added.
He emphasized that in future the government should establish a mandatory panel of disability experts to evaluate and assess UBOS studies on disability inclusion and reporting.
He said this review process should take place before any study or survey is conducted by UBOS to help prevent errors.
“Therefore if we cannot urgently get reliable data from UBOS on disability categories per Local Government, to facilitate proper planning and proper allocation of resources for prevention, research, rehabilitation and management, then we are doing a big disservice to millions of PWDs and their caretakers in our constituencies,” he added.
