Physical Disabilities in Rural Population of a District of North India

An estimated 10% of the world's population experience some form of disability or impairment. It is now recognized that a disability can often be complicated by additional medical, psychological, or environmental factors. The occurrence of disability is high in developing countries. It is among the poorest communities and that poverty breeds disablement and disablement breeds poverty, a vicious cycle that the poor can least afford. The public health community has traditionally paid little attention to the health needs of people with disabilities. Public health has traditionally responded to emerging needs; people with disabilities are a group whose health needs should be targeted. Most of the impairments can be prevented if proper preventive and rehabilitative measures are undertaken in this respect.

Dhananjay K. Srivastava MBBS, MPH: Providing technical support to Government of Bihar a state of India for Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization with WHO-National Polio Surveillance Project. Late Javed A Khan MD Community Medicine: Deputy Director, Center for Epidemiology, National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi, India.