Malawi’s disability rights advocates have issued an urgent warning to Parliament, saying years of chronic underfunding and institutional neglect have pushed millions of citizens with disabilities into deeper poverty, exclusion and despair.
The Federation of Disability Organisations in Malawi (FEDOMA) told the newly reconstituted Parliamentary Committee on Social and Community Welfare that the country is “nowhere close” to meeting even the most basic needs of the more than two million Malawians living with disabilities, over 10 percent of the population.
Speaking during an engagement held as part of the National Disability Rights Awareness Month, FEDOMA said Malawi’s disability agenda has been reduced to “symbolic commitments” that lack meaningful resources or political will.
“We are talking about a Disability Trust Fund that gets 500 million kwacha, yet we have over two million Malawians with disabilities depending on it. When you break it down, that is essentially 250 kwacha per person, not even enough for a loaf of bread. How can we call this support?” questioned Simon Munde, FEDOMA Executive Director.
Munde stressed that the current allocation makes it impossible for the Fund to support urgent needs such as mobility devices, rehabilitation services and disability-related extra costs.
He said the gap between policy promises and lived reality continues to widen, leaving thousands without essential support.
“Malawi cannot develop while leaving millions behind. The numbers are large, the needs are real, and the country must match its commitments with real investment,” Munde added.
Committee chairperson Saviel Kafwafwa delivered one of the strongest rebukes yet of Malawi’s education system, revealing that some schools are still sending children with disabilities back home because they lack specialized teachers.
He described the practice as “deeply shameful”, warning that it pushes families into hopelessness.
“If we continue with this trend as a country, then we are not being fair to our persons with disabilities. A child with a disability may require twice, three times, or even ten times the investment of a child without a disability. Until the nation understands this, we will continue failing them,” said Kafwafwa.
Kafwafwa said Parliament is committed to ensuring that disability issues are no longer treated as afterthoughts in national planning.
He added that disability inclusion must move beyond rhetoric if Malawi is to deliver equal opportunities, stressing the need for specialised teachers, accessible infrastructure and assistive technology.
“This committee will not sit back. We are committed to ensuring that disability rights become a priority in budgeting, policymaking and service delivery,” he said.
FEDOMA also raised concerns over inadequate funding for disability programmes, the slow growth of the Disability Trust Fund, low employment rates among persons with disabilities and a persistent shortage of assistive devices.
These challenges, compounded by stigma in communities and workplaces, continue to hinder meaningful inclusion.
Malawi’s disability awareness campaign, designated as Disability Rights Awareness Month from November 3 to December 3, 2025, aims to promote the rights of people with disabilities and challenge social exclusion.