Prevalence and Effects of Disability in the Republic of South Africa FLM Hyera

References: 1.STATS SA. Prevalence of disability in South Africa. Stats SA Census Anthony Woolf & Bruce Pfleger. Burden of Musculoskeletal conditions. Bull Who. 2003: 81(9); Disability including prevention, management & rehabilitation. 58 th World Health Assembly. Agenda Item 13.13

Human Variability There’s a range of values and attributes for any describable human characteristic – Differences range from trivial to extensive – Each person in the kaleidoscope is part of the human-kind – The social values attached to these differences by society in which one lives affects every aspect of the person’s life

Sources of Human Variability Biological conditions – genetic inheritance, – disease, – ageing Environmental conditions Socio-cultural conditions Life experiences – Trauma-related – Lifestyle choices

Introduction “Definition”: - Social model Disability refers to the social effects of physical or mental impairment Disability is NOT a disease Impairment: Medical/health condition (physical, mental or emotional). that makes a person unable to perform certain activities that the majority of able-bodied persons perform easily. For the purpose of this symposium, the use of the term disability should be perceived to refer to impairment

Main categories of disabilities Physical Visual Hearing Speech Emotional Mental Intellectual

Types Forms of Impairment Physical ‘disabilities’: – Mobility impairment: Club foot, paralysis, amputations, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, arthritis, stroke spina bifida – Visual impairment: Blindness, low vision, colour blindness, cataract – Hearing impairment – Chronic disease: – Spinal cord or Traumatic Brain injuries Mental disabilities – Learning disabilities, – Alzheimer – Anxiety disorders – Phobias Developmental disabilities – Dyslexia, Down syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorders, Autism

Extent of the problem worldwide 650 million people worldwide live with a form of disability/impairment Developing countries of the world are most affected than the developed ( 80% of the disabled live in low income countries) Disability affects all ages and all sexes Disability may affect any one at anytime Most people experience some degree of impairment at some stage in their lives

Increasing Numbers of the disabled Rise in: Diseases Diseases: – Chronic & age-related disease: MSCs, CVS, RS, NS – Communicable & non-communicable diseases – Mental health conditions Trauma Wars and conflicts – Injuries during confrontations – Landmines – Emotional trauma Criminal violence Accidents

Prevalence in RSA – Stats SA Census people identified by the 2001 RSA census as having various forms of disability – i.e. 5% of the total RSA population – Affect all age, race and sex groups – F > M Prevalence in Gauteng Province 3.8% compared to the Free State (6.8%) Prevalence increase by age from 2% in the 0-9 yrs to 27% in those over 80yrs Prevalence of sight impairment was the highest at 32% – Followed by physical disability (30%) – Hearing impairment (20% – Intellectual disability (16%) – Communication disability (12%) the highest at 32%

Percentage of the disabled and non-disabled by age group in RSA – Stats SA Census 2001

Percentage of disabled persons by type of disability in RSA - Stats SA Census 2001

Percentage distribution of the disabled by highest level of education in RSA - Stats SA Census 2001

Number of disabled persons by province in RSA - Stats SA Census 2001

Percentage distribution of disabled and non- disabled persons in RSA - Stats SA Census 2001

Percentage of the disabled and non-disabled persons aged years who were employed - Stats SA Census 2001