Belarusian Authorities Disapprove Child Adoption By Persons With Disability

The decision of the Belarusian Ministry of Health contradicts the norms of the UN Convention.

Volha decided to adopt a child when she saw the news that a baby had been left at a hospital door in a nearby town.

However, it turned out that she cannot become a candidate for adoptive parents in Belarus - by decision of the Ministry of Health, the BBC reports.

Congenital dislocation of the hip joint provoked her circulatory disorders and led to the amputation of part of the leg. Despite her disability, she has not stopped playing sports and doing business.

However, according to the decision of the Ministry of Health of Belarus, people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, congenital anomalies, and consequences of injuries that led to evident dysfunctions cannot adopt a child in Belarus.

Lawyers and human rights activists argue that Volha’s refusal of the right to adoption on the basis of a medical opinion alone is contrary to the norms of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by Belarus.