Global statistics on children living with disabilities
It is difficult to come up with exact statistics of children with disabilities globally because several countries do not have mechanisms to conduct proper censure of these children, and there is out-dated definitions and measures of disability that are often used to gather data. According to UNICEF (2013) fact sheet, children living with disabilities range between 93 million and 150 million depending on the source.
Citing the Global Burden of Disease study of 2004, the World Report further estimates that amongst those aged 0–14 years, roughly 5.1% of all children (93 million) live with a ‘moderate or severe’ disability and 0.7%, or 13 million children, live with severe difficulties (WHO, 2011). These estimates indicate that many children beyond the numbers provided live with disabilities and they face many challenges in their everyday lives, these include and not limited to; limited access to health care, access to clean water and sanitation, segregation and cultural discrimination, prone to violence and abuse, and lack of access to education.
Africa statistics on children living with disabilities
Africa is home to several children living with disabilities. These children are faced with many challenges compared to their counterparts in Europe, Asia and America due to political, social and economic situations. World Bank (2018) states that in Africa, an estimated 6.4% (of global figure) of children in this age range have moderate or severe disabilities; and less than 10% of all children with disabilities under the age of 14 are attending school. One third of the children who are out of school globally are children with disabilities, and more than half of these live in sub-Saharan Africa. Children with disabilities are far less likely to access quality education compared to their peers (Gharagozloo-Pakkala, 2016).
Zimbabwe statistics on children living with disabilities
According to the 2013 National Survey on Living Conditions among Persons with Disabilities in Zimbabwe the prevalence of disability in the country is estimated to be 7%, amounting to approximately 914 287 persons based on the total Zimbabwe population of 13 061 239 (Zimbabwe 2012 Population Census) (UNICEF Zimbabwe, n. d). According to Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Annual Statistics Report 2014 the prevalence of in-school children with impairments was 34,734. This figure increased to 52,232 in 2016 representing percentage increase of around 50%.
Children with disabilities are often excluded from opportunities to participate fully in their communities and are more vulnerable to violence and abuse. As a result of more than two decades of Zimbabwe socioeconomic challenges many children living with disabilities are among the most marginalized and excluded groups of children globally. Compared to their peers, Children with Disabilities (CwDs) largely due to systems and environmental barriers including stigma and discrimination, are often excluded from the mainstream health, education, legal support and other social services.
There is a gap of current and definite comprehensive incidence and prevalence statistics of CwDs in the country. This leads to planning for services without current trends for children with disabilities that may result in poor systems and acute resource allocation to CwDs.
