THE Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOH-Barmm) announced that 1,500 persons with disability (PWD) and senior citizens across Barmm will receive wheelchairs, crutches and walking canes.

Dr. Amirel Usman, Barmm health minister, said that DOH-Barmm has allocated 197 wheelchairs and assistive devices for each of the region's five provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and two cities of Marawi and Lamitan.

Usman said the PWDs and senior citizens are the vulnerable members of society, thus efforts of the government should reach them.

Usman also highlighted their special needs do not hamper their contribution as productive and functioning members of society.

He said that 31 PWDs and senior citizens from the towns of South Upi, Pagalungan, Parang, and Datu Odin in the province of Maguindanao received mobility assistive devices during a turnover program on Tuesday, February 9.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ehsan Paudac, head of MOH's Non-Communicable Disease cluster, said there are about two million people who live with some form of disability in the Philippines, 80 percent of whom are experiencing some difficulties.

Paudac said there are 35,000 PWDs across Barmm, or about 1.07 percent of the total number of PWDs in the country.

"Unfortunately, PWDs have poorer health outcomes, lower educational achievements, less economic participation, and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities," Paudac added.

"It is very crucial to PWDs to have access to social protection on an equal basis with others," Paudac added. (SunStar Zamboanga)