Call to measure disability prevalence in Pakistan

LAHORE: In order to prioritise inclusive and equitable education as a mainstream agenda, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) organised two dialogues on issues of equity, inclusion and gender equality at a local hotel here on Thursday.

The findings from a disability prevalence survey, conducted by ITA, were shared in the first session which showed that 15.15 percent of the 8,345 surveyed children (of age 5-16 years) were found to have a moderate/severe disability.

It was proposed that there was a need to scale up the survey to the rest of the country in order to measure disability prevalence across the country. The results from the learning assessment of visually impaired and deaf children, using the Braille and Pakistan Sign Language adapted ASER learning tools, showed that visually impaired children were performing remarkably well, despite of only 33 percent of schools having assistive technologies for visually impaired.

It was highlighted that Sign Language should be taught to deaf children so that they could also communicate and learn properly. The second dialogue was aimed to promote discourse on inclusion and equity based on findings from the recently launched ASER 2018 report and ITA’s pilot survey on measuring disability prevalence and learning outcomes of children with disabilities (CWDs), serving as a point of reference for crafting powerful solutions to provide access to inclusive quality education and learning opportunities for all.

The second session was initiated by the CEO of ITA Ms Baela Raza Jamil. Raja Rashid Hafeez, Minister for Literacy and Non Formal Education, was the chief guest and discussed some key interventions for advancing girls’ education in the Punjab.

Ms Farida Shaheed delivered the keynote address, highlighting the key factors contributing to persistent gender inequality in our system. The panellists for this dialogue included Ms Fauzia Viqar (Chairperson, Punjab Commission on the Status of Women), Ms Uzma Kardar (Chairperson, Standing Committee on Gender Mainstreaming), Waqar Azeem (Director Programs, Punjab Social Protection Authority), Ms Amna Khalid (Social Development adviser, DFID) and representatives from L&NFBE and Unicef.

plantation: Virtual University in pursuance of the prime minister’s Clean and Green Pakistan campaign launched a tree plantation drive on its Kala Shah Kaku campus here on Thursday. The purpose of the drive is to encourage the students and faculty to plant trees and create awareness among the people about clean and pleasant environment.

Former Rector Dr Naveed A. Malik and other officials visited the VU campus. Dr Naveed A. Malik formally inaugurated the tree plantation campaign by planting a sapling. The event was jointly arranged by the Department of Quality Enhancement and Environmental Protection Society.

The students, faculty members and senior officials planted more than 100 saplings on the occasion. Seminar: Speakers at a seminar have highlighted the lack of awareness in Pakistan about a dreadful genetic blood disorder, thalassaemia, and stressed effective measures to be taken for compulsory pre-marriages blood screening test of couples for thalassaemia.

The seminar was organized by the Government College University’s Blood Donor Society (GCU-BDS) in collaboration with a non-government organisation (NGO). Asif Hameed Butt, NGO’s Punjab coordinator, cautioned the students against the marriages of two thalassaemia carriers. He said thalassaemia carrier was not a disease but when one carrier married another; they could have a chance of having an offspring with thalassaemia major which was dreadful and fatal.

Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah, GCU Vice-Chancellor, said thalassaemia major child had a very difficult and painful life to live. “They require regular monthly blood transfusions and other expensive therapies. The students must act as volunteers in their families & areas, and raise awareness about this genetic disorder,” he said. GCU BDS Advisor Dr Babar Naseem Assi also spoke. The seminar was followed by free camp where students of GCU were screened for thalassaemia minor.