CBM is dedicated to enhancing the lives of persons with disabilities in low and middle-income countries. The organisation aims to disrupt the cycle of poverty and disability, striving to establish a world where persons with disabilities enjoy the same opportunities and rights as their peers and can live free from disease and poverty. To realise this objective, CBM finances medical and rehabilitative projects, promotes educational and livelihood initiatives, and implements comprehensive disease prevention strategies.
Addressing poverty and disability in Asia
Poverty remains a significant issue in various regions of Asia, despite the economic growth experienced in numerous countries. In Pakistan, for instance, 22 per cent of the population lives below the national poverty line, according to the UNDP Human Development Index from 2023 to 2024. Many people lack access to adequate sanitation facilities and clean drinking water, which facilitates the unchecked spread of diseases and can lead to severe disabilities.
The Lancet Journal reports that over 95 per cent of the population in South Asia (as well as Central, East, and West Africa) do not have access to surgical care. Consequently, injuries frequently result in lifelong physical disabilities, and congenital malformations often go untreated. Furthermore, many illnesses and disabilities remain undiagnosed, unaddressed, or inadequately treated at an early stage. Persons with disabilities frequently encounter barriers to educational opportunities, which severely diminishes their prospects of securing employment that would enable them to escape poverty.
To disrupt this cycle of poverty and disability, CBM actively supports a variety of projects aimed at improving the lives of persons with disabilities.