CONGRATULATIONS PROFESSOR DR. KAMARUL IMRAN MUSA SPONSOR BY LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE & TROPICAL MEDICINE

This study aims to identify the goods and services required for the equal participation of children with disabilities in Malaysia, and to assess how well these needs are met through existing social protection and government programmes. The project runs for 18 months (Feb 2026 – Jun 2027) and involves collaboration between LSHTM, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UNICEF, CIP, and the World Bank. Children with disabilities in Malaysia face higher rates of poverty, limited access to inclusive education, inadequate infrastructure, and geographic inequities, especially in rural areas. Traditional poverty measures underestimate disability-related extra costs —such as assistive technology, transport, and specialised services—leading to underestimation of true economic hardship. The study uses the Goods and Services Required (GSR) approach, which combines inputs from experts and caregivers. Methods include a) Expert FGDs (by disability type) to list required items, discuss availability, coverage by government, and unit costs., b) Caregiver FGDs to validate lists and share lived experiences and c) Illustrative case studies estimating annual costs for typical children with different disabilities.The study will be conducted in Sarawak and in Peninsular Malaysia. Sampling includes caregiver FGDs and expert FGDs, plus 6–10 interviews with caregivers of children with complex disabilities.Data collection will use structured questionnaires, audio recordings, transcription, thematic analysis, and strict anonymity with secure digital storage. Findings will guide inclusive social protection policies and be disseminated through stakeholder meetings, media events, webinars, and academic outputs.