Building Back to Leave No One Behind: Disability-Inclusive COVID-19 Response and Recovery in Africa.

Millions of people living with disabilities in Africa already face a heightened risk of poverty, which will likely be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic unless interventions to address its social and economic impacts are disability inclusive. This paper draws on research on health and living circumstances of people with disabilities in Africa in the context of human and disability rights as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The paper also explores the pathways through which the current pandemic may increase the risk of poverty amongst people with disabilities, such as loss of income from disruptions to work, particularly in the informal sector, and higher future spending and productivity losses from disruptions to health care and other key services (e.g., rehabilitation, assistive devices). It also explores how social and economic responses to contain and respond to the pandemic should consider and be inclusive of the needs of people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]