Empowering Lives Through Occupational Therapy in Zimbabwe!

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Both Houses of Parliament will resume today, 25th February 2025.  Veritas has outlined the following business that this sitting will deal with and I believe it may be of interest to the Occupational Therapist who are part of our mailing list: 

1. An international agreement to be ratified:  The Assembly will be asked to ratify the  African Charter on Statistics,  signed in Addis Ababa on the 4th of February 2009.
2.  Persons with Disabilities Bill [link] due to begin its Committee Stage. The bulletin from Veritas notes that extensive amendments are being proposed to the Bill. 

 

What does this mean for Occupational Therapy? 

The African Charter on Statistics is a strategic framework designed to guide the development, production, and dissemination of reliable and harmonized statistical data across African countries. It aims to address the challenges of insufficient and inconsistent statistical data, which are critical for informed decision-making and effective policy implementation at both national and regional levels. 

Because the African Charter on Statistics was adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, its ratification by member states has the potential to significantly strengthen efforts for improved medical rehabilitation services, such as occupational therapy (OT) and physiotherapy (PT) including advocacy. Occupational Therapy/ rehabilitation focused outcomes include:

1. Strengthening Data Collection and Evidence-Based Advocacy

The African Charter on Statistics emphasizes the production of reliable, harmonized, and timely data. For medical rehabilitation, this means:

• Improved collection of data on the prevalence of disabilities and the demand for rehabilitation services like OT and PT.
• Enhanced ability to identify gaps in the availability of rehabilitation professionals and services, which is a critical issue in sub-Saharan Africa, including Zimbabwe. For example, sub-Saharan Africa faces challenges in educating enough occupational therapists and physiotherapists to meet growing demands

2. Supporting Policy Development and Resource Allocation

 

With better statistical systems, Zimbabwe can:

• Develop targeted policies to address the shortage of rehabilitation professionals and improve access to services.
• Allocate resources more effectively to underserved areas, ensuring equitable access to OT and PT services, which are essential for individuals recovering from conditions like strokes, injuries, or chronic illnesses

 

3.  Aligning with Regional and Global Standards
    

The Charter promotes harmonization of statistical practices across Africa, aligning Zimbabwe with regional and international frameworks. This can:

 

• Facilitate stronger state and Regional African Led- collaborations with organizations like the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) and other global bodies to improve training and capacity-building for rehabilitation professionals
• Support Zimbabwe in meeting its obligations under other frameworks, such as the Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa, which emphasizes access to habilitation and rehabilitation services as a human right

The African Charter on Statistics is a vital tool for strengthening statistical capacity in Africa, enabling better governance, economic planning, and regional integration.

 

The Persons with Disabilities bill seeks to provide for the alignment of the bill to the Constitution. The Bill reflects human rights-based approach to disability, fundamental rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities. For this purpose, the Bill establishes a Commission to carry out a number of functions and I believe OT will have a role play within the functions of a commission of persons with disabilities including another key result that will arise as a result of this bill. Please see the bill for details of the proposed amendments.