Article type
Abstract
Background: In 2022, the World Health Organization reported that 16% of the global population had a disability, with 80% residing in low- and middle-income countries. It is well documented that these individuals frequently experience multiple disadvantages, resulting in worse health and education outcomes. Stigma and negative social attitudes are recognized as important contributors to this disadvantage. The evidence base around interventions to address disability-related stigma is not well understood.
This presentation reports on 2 linked studies: a systematic review on interventions to reduce disability-related stigma in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, which informed the development of an in-depth qualitative study exploring the participatory design and implementation of interventions to address disability stigma reduction in Ghana (within Ghana Somubi Dwumadie).
Methods: The systematic review involved a comprehensive search of 9 databases and gray literature, consultation with experts, and reference checks of included studies. Two reviewers then screened these studies, extracted data, and evaluated their quality. The study in Ghana included a review of program documents, in-depth interviews (26), focus group discussions (14), and a participatory workshop.
Results: The systematic review showed that good-quality evidence on what works to reduce disability-related stigma is lacking, with inconsistent effects of education and training across the high- or medium-quality studies. Despite the limited evidence, the review suggested that the use of a consistent stigma framework, aimed at understanding the drivers, contextual factors, and manifestations of stigma, should guide decisions on local intervention types.
In Ghana, the use of an evidence-based stigma framework to guide formative research alongside designing and delivering interventions through the leadership of people with disabilities and the participation of people of power, such as community and religious leaders, increased acceptability, coherence, and early effects of stigma reduction activities.
Conclusion: Despite the lack of global evidence on what works to reduce disability stigma, using a clear framework and a participatory, user-centered approach can ensure that we effectively contextualize local evidence to deliver change. Organizations implementing or funding disability-related stigma reduction activities should invest in high-quality evaluations based on a clear stigma framework and validated, consistent metrics.
This presentation reports on 2 linked studies: a systematic review on interventions to reduce disability-related stigma in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, which informed the development of an in-depth qualitative study exploring the participatory design and implementation of interventions to address disability stigma reduction in Ghana (within Ghana Somubi Dwumadie).
Methods: The systematic review involved a comprehensive search of 9 databases and gray literature, consultation with experts, and reference checks of included studies. Two reviewers then screened these studies, extracted data, and evaluated their quality. The study in Ghana included a review of program documents, in-depth interviews (26), focus group discussions (14), and a participatory workshop.
Results: The systematic review showed that good-quality evidence on what works to reduce disability-related stigma is lacking, with inconsistent effects of education and training across the high- or medium-quality studies. Despite the limited evidence, the review suggested that the use of a consistent stigma framework, aimed at understanding the drivers, contextual factors, and manifestations of stigma, should guide decisions on local intervention types.
In Ghana, the use of an evidence-based stigma framework to guide formative research alongside designing and delivering interventions through the leadership of people with disabilities and the participation of people of power, such as community and religious leaders, increased acceptability, coherence, and early effects of stigma reduction activities.
Conclusion: Despite the lack of global evidence on what works to reduce disability stigma, using a clear framework and a participatory, user-centered approach can ensure that we effectively contextualize local evidence to deliver change. Organizations implementing or funding disability-related stigma reduction activities should invest in high-quality evaluations based on a clear stigma framework and validated, consistent metrics.