Today saw the launch of the INCLU.DE – Inclusion for Development project, aimed at improving the living conditions of men and women with disabilities in Mozambique through the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The event was attended by the Director of the National Human Rights Commission of Mozambique (CNDH), Dr. Albachir Macassar, the Deputy Director of AICS – Maputo Headquarters, Maria Cristina Pescante, and representatives from Mozambican ministries, namely the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action and the Ministry of Health. Civil society organizations were also present, such as Doctors with Africa (CUAMM), the implementer of lot 1, the Italian Association of Friends of Raoul Follereau (AIFO), the implementer of lot 2, Remoteline, and the Forum of Mozambican Associations of Persons with Disabilities (FAMOD).
During the launch, Deputy Director Maria Cristina Pescante emphasized that “the INCLU.DE initiative represents an important step towards promoting equality and social inclusion. We want to create opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender, age, disability, or socioeconomic context. We want to build a society where every individual can actively contribute.”
The Director of CNDH, Dr. Albachir Macassar, thanked the Italian Cooperation for including the Commission as a key implementer in this matter. He further emphasized the importance of the project in the health sector, highlighting the “need to increase accessibility for people with disabilities.” He noted that due to the lack of accessibility, many people with disabilities end up not utilizing health services.
The INCLU.DE project, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), will last for 36 months and aims to strengthen the system of promoting and protecting the rights of people with disabilities through institutional strengthening actions at the central and local levels, research and analysis activities, and pilot interventions in the health and social sectors in the Provinces of Maputo and Sofala. The intervention strategy is structured into four main components:
- Capacity building and support for the Unit of the National Human Rights Commission responsible for promoting, protecting, and monitoring the rights of people with disabilities.
- Knowledge transfer and awareness-raising about the rights of people with disabilities to public officials, Organizations of People with Disabilities, and Civil Society Organizations, creating a shared base of information and awareness.
- Support for the processes of collecting relevant and comparable data on the condition of people with disabilities in the country, promoting the disaggregation by disability of the main internationally coded indicators.
- Definition, experimentation, and standardization of innovative and replicable measures for accessible and quality services at the primary and community levels, starting with the health sector.
This initiative aims to ensure that people with disabilities have access to quality and inclusive health services, promoting equal opportunities and social inclusion in Mozambique, leaving no one behind.