The study looked at interventions that have been used to tackle stigma, and identified gaps in the evidence base. Researchers are now calling for more effort to be put into filling these gaps.
The systematic literature review identified 82 studies reporting disability-related stigma and discrimination from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It then assessed them for methodological quality – a measure of whether the studies were likely to provide reliable results.
The review found that the studies were unevenly spread across different countries and types of impairment. The majority of studies that were assessed for quality were also deemed to be of low methodological quality.
Emma Jolley, global technical lead for health and disability research at Sightsavers, said: “Our review notes the lack of good quality evidence about interventions and their impact on the lives of people with disabilities, particularly those with physical and sensory impairments, and those living in sub-Saharan Africa. This means that when it comes to addressing stigma and discrimination, we still don’t have the tools we need.”..more