Supporting carers of children living with disabilities

MEDICINE CABINET TEODORO B. PADILLA

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Dec. 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a global reminder that inclusion is not achieved by sentiment but by systems.

For millions of persons with disabilities (PWDs), inequity persists because social and health policies remain unevenly implemented or under-resourced.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that PWDs are twice as likely to develop chronic health conditions and can die up to 20 years earlier than those without disabilities. These stark disparities do not arise from disability itself, but from avoidable inequities such as stigma, discrimination, lack of access to preventive care, exclusion from education and employment, and weak health systems.

Nearly 2.4 million PWDs were registered in the Philippines as of September this year, while UNICEF estimates that there are 1.6 million Filipino children living with disabilities. Yet their families, particularly the parents and carers who shoulder the daily realities of disability, oftentimes remain largely invisible in policy discussions.

Caring for a child with disabilities transforms a household.

Specialized therapies, assistive devices, medical consultations, transport costs, and the search for inclusive schooling require both time and financial sacrifice. Many parents reduce work hours or leave employment altogether, creating long-term economic insecurity.

Carers routinely confront fragmented services, limited rehabilitation facilities, unclear referral pathways, and a lack of local government programs that respond to the needs of families. Emotional stress, burnout, and isolation are predictable outcomes when systems do not support those who provide the bulk of care.