Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services has decided to launch a National Registry of Persons with Disabilities in September this year.
The government is working to strengthen various sectors to ensure the rights of people with disabilities. As such, the gender ministry is paying special attention to changing the way people with disabilities are included in society. There are no official statistics stating the exact number of disabled people in the Maldives, nor is it possible to determine the type of disability. At the same time, various types of congenital disabilities are increasing, and no data has been collected in the country. Therefore, there are many obstacles to providing state care to such people. There have also been difficulties in formulating policies and providing services for people with disabilities.
In an effort to solve such issues, President Ibrahim Mohamed Salih announced the decision to compile a register of people with disabilities in his last Presidential Address delivered at the Parliament of Maldives. The president announced the decision to increase the disability allowance before the end of the year, which would be achieved with the formulation of a National Registry of Persons with Disabilities for the first time in the Maldives. Outlining the commitment of the administration to protect the rights of disabled people, he noted that the data collected through the national registry would pave the way to improve the essential services, rehabilitation, and therapy provided to them.
Speaking to PSM News, the gender ministry said efforts are underway to digitalise the register of people with disabilities with the help of modern technology. The ministry said the register is expected to be completed and launched by September.