Access to healthcare for persons with disabilities in Eswatini

Abstract

Achieving the right of access to healthcare for persons with disabilities is a challenge in Eswatini as a result of various barriers, such as availability of services, acceptability in healthcare facilities, financial and geographical accessibility. As a means of facilitating access to healthcare for persons with disabilities, Eswatini ratified the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and subsequently developed the National Disability Policy Reform documents. The study therefore employed a case study research design utilising multiple data sources to establish the extent to which the National Disability Policy Reforms had addressed access to healthcare for persons with disabilities. The study aimed to establish how the manner in which these reforms were developed and implemented influenced access to healthcare for persons with disabilities in Eswatini. Data Source 1 encompassed a review of the National Disability Policy Reform documents. Data Source 2 included in-depth interviews with key informants (n=7) who were involved in the development and implementation of the National Disability Reform documents. Data Source 3 included focus groups with persons with disabilities (n=5), caregivers of persons with disabilities (n=6) and healthcare professionals (n=7). Additional electronic questionnaires were conducted with healthcare professionals (n=7) as part of Data Source 3. All data were analysed using a framework approach, specifically the Integrated Disability Policy Analysis Framework. Findings of the study indicated that the National Disability Policy Reform documents had adequately addressed the availability of services and acceptability of persons with disabilities within healthcare facilities. The National Disability Policy Reform documents however neglected to consider the significant role of financial and geographical accessibility on influencing access to healthcare. Findings also revealed that while the development of the National Disability Policy Reform documents was a collaborative effort between different stakeholders, the processes of implementation of these documents was not entirely clear. As a result, the promises of the National Disability Policy Reform documents were not translating into actions as persons with disabilities lacked knowledge on the existence of the National Disability Policy Reform documents. Persons with disabilities were also not aware of their rights to healthcare, and they still experienced challenges when they had to access healthcare. A policy brief was developed to communicate the findings of the study to policy makers. Access to healthcare guidelines with pictorial support were developed to conscientise persons with disabilities, caregivers of persons with disabilities and healthcare professionals about the rights to access for persons with disabilities. Keywords: access to healthcare, disability policy, human rights, Integrated Disability Policy Analysis Framework; persons with disabilities; policy analysis