781,478 people live with some type of disability in Panama, representing 18% of the population; that is, one in six people. This is indicated by the results of the Second National Disability Survey, which also saw the launch of the National Disability Atlas.
On behalf of President José Raúl Mulino, the Minister of the Presidency, Juan Carlos Orillac, presided today, in coordination with the National Secretariat for Disability (SENADIS), the Fourteenth Ordinary Meeting of the National Consultative Council for Disability (CONADIS).
«This reality calls on the State to redouble its efforts, and at the same time it provides us with a solid statistical base to guide focused, efficient, and truly humane public policies,» reiterated Orillac at the CONADIS meeting.
In turn, the Acting Director of SENADIS, José Townshend, highlighted that Panama has up-to-date data that allows us to know how many people live with a disability, how they live, where they are, and what their main challenges are.
The total identified population includes 529,426 people with mild to moderate disabilities, while 252,052 people have severe disabilities, with a significant increase in prevalence observed from the age of 50.
Among the main types of identified impairments are visceral or organ and system impairments, followed by mobility or physical, intellectual, visual, communication, mental, and, to a lesser extent, hearing impairments.
For the first time, the survey incorporated information on sequelae associated with COVID-19, revealing that one-third of the population with a disability suffered from the disease, and that more than 50% of those who contracted it present sequelae, mainly pulmonary, muscular, and emotional, which represents an additional challenge for the health system.
«Today we have updated and rigorous information that reveals an 18% prevalence of disability in Panama, which means that one in six Panamanians lives with a disability. The event served as the framework for the presentation of the results of the Second National Disability Survey (ENDIS-2) and the launch of the National Disability Atlas, a digital platform that offers a snapshot of the country's status in this matter.»
The minister explained that this survey provides crucial national data to understand the magnitude and characteristics of the inequality affecting the population with disabilities.
The survey results revealed that 67% of people with some disability live in urban areas and 33% in rural areas.
«This information constitutes a roadmap for the design and strengthening of inclusive public policies in Panama,» he pointed out.
Regarding sex, 58.4% are women and 41.6% are men.
At the territorial level, the largest concentration of people with disabilities is registered in the provinces of Panama (278,904) and Panama Oeste (136,277), followed by Chiriquí, Coclé, Ngäbe Buglé comarca, Colón, Veraguas, Herrera, Bocas del Toro, Los Santos, Darién, and the indigenous comarcas.
