What does a disability-inclusive pandemic response mean for Liberia and how can it lead to genuine systemic change?

It is widely recognised that people with disabilities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 (FCDO,2020; UN,2020a). Yet there is limited empirical evidence on the ways and extent to which the response itself has affected the lives of disabled populations in low-income settings, and how this compares to other epidemics. This research compares how people with disabilities experienced outbreaks of two widespread infectious diseases in Liberia (Ebola and COVID-19).

Liberia has high levels of multidimensional poverty. The country is still reeling from the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which killed nearly 5,000 people with over 10,000 confirmed cases, and is now grappling with COVID-19. Like many countries, the Liberian Government implemented extensive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, including lockdowns and enforced social distancing. These have negative implications for people with disabilities (FAO,2020), and COVID-19 is likely to exacerbate pre-existing barriers (UN,2020b). However, while there is a raft of guidance on how to include people with disabilities in the COVID-19 response (UN,2020a,2020b; WHO,2020), there is little empirical evidence of the impact this has had on disabled populations in low-income settings.

This proposal builds upon previous DFID/ESRC-funded research. It will examine how people with disabilities can achieve meaningful inclusion in epidemic and other humanitarian responses, and how trust in government - a critical driver in public health compliance - and the capacity of health systems to deliver health messages and services can be developed. This research will gather in-depth qualitative data, taking an intersectional approach to analyse inequalities in disability and public health crises, examining issues including gender, impairment and poverty.