Protection of Rights of People Living With Disabilities
By Linda Mupemo Zambia Union of All Persons Living With Disabilities President Pascal Mulenga Like most young ladies, Malumbo Mwape dreamed of becoming a mother in her future life. Unfortunately, Ms Mwape had polio when she was barely learning how to walk at two years old. The illness crippled her limbs leaving her with the option of only using a wheelchair for mobility. As fate would have it, Ms Mwape fell pregnant outside wedlock when she was 20 years old. She recalls how the situation angered and worried her parents at the same time. "I grew up being aided in doing most things. But a pregnancy was a different story all together. I had to carry my baby in my womb regardless of my physical state," she laments. Ms Mwape, now 27 years old, says health care providers termed her pregnancy as ‘high risk’ hence she needed frequent medical check-ups in addition to the mandatory antenatal visits....