Health Care Needs for children with Disabilities By Patriciah Roy Akullo Katalemwa Cheshire Home for Rehabilitation Services Founded in 1970.

Health Care Needs for children with Disabilities

By

Patriciah Roy Akullo

Katalemwa Cheshire Home for Rehabilitation Services Founded in 1970

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Introduction & Facts• Over 1.2 million children have moderate and severe disabilities in

Uganda (UBOS 2002). • The Uganda National Housing Survey 2005/6 indicates that 80% of

children with disabilities live in absolute poverty. • Poverty and cultural beliefs is closely related to disability in our

society• Less than 20% of families with a child with a disability can afford

their rehabilitation needs. • More than 80% of disabilities in developing countries like Uganda

are as a result preventable causes including like poverty, attitudes and practices with regard to disability being shaped by ignorance, cultural beliefs and customs.

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Introduction & Facts• Research has also indicated that poverty accounts for 58%

of disability causes in Africa. • Retarded growths, post burn contractures, osteomyelitis,

among others are also common with children in poor families Households.

• Due to limited finances children with disabilities are not able to go for specialized rehabilitation services .

• Those who try, end up not completing the rehabilitation cycle leading to a relapse.

• As a result, children with disabilities have ended up with multiple disabilities due to poor management.

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Health Care Needs • Needs vary depending on the degree of the disability

and the under lying cause of it.1. Medical and Medical Rehabilitation needs• Assessment support• Access to drugs i.e. for children with mental health

disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy and epilepsy.• Therapies i.e. Occupational and physiotherapy .2. Assistive device support• Mobility Appliance i.e. white canes, Wheelchairs• Support Appliance i.e. Eye Glasses, hearing aids,

catheters• Rehabilitation Devices i.e. Walking frames, crutches

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Health Care Needs 3 Reproductive Health needs• Deaf –Visually Impaired Girls under going monthly

periods• Sex education: Who educates the visually impaired

and those with hearing loss?4.Maternal Health Needs• Antenatal care for Child mothers still lacking5. HIV/AIDS• Information concerning use of protection and other

family planning methods• Information about HIV&AIDS is not translated to

carter for all categories of disability

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Health Care Needs Urinal Tract InfectionsChildren with mobility challenges especially those that

crawl to access sanitary systems.Other DiseasesMysterious Nodding Disease• Growth is stunted completely and permanently.• The growth of the brain is also stunted, leading to

mental retardation of the affected individual.• Sever Epileptic seizers

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Health Care Needs

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Health Care Needs Access to ART is a challenge, Psycho-social support

among those with hearing impairment.3. Economic Needs• Money for basic needs i.e. drugs, food, shelter• Resources to generate income4. Psycho-Social needs• Counsel for sanity purposes i.e. Teenage CWDs• Absence of caregivers • Information• Inclusion

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Success story/Learning

• How possible is it for CSO’S?

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In Mandate with

The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)as the first binding instrument in international law which stipulate the need for the rights of children with disabilities to be respected just like the other children and even calls for placement of favorable measures to this effect…

• (Article 23-CRC).

Support strategySupport strategy• Addressing abject poverty i.e. through

livelihoods support to increase household income• Teaching in activities of Daily living (ADL)

through the early childhood learning centre.• Attitude change campaigns through advocacy

and awareness campaigns• Psycho-social support• Medical rehabilitation i.e. Therapy and

Surgery.• Community and Home Based care programmes

Awareness campaigns

Assistive device support

Economic Needs

Economic Needs

Remarks

• Can we let the children do the talking?

• Can we do the hard service delivery and accord necessary support?

8 Km Gayaza Road, Mpererwe8 Km Gayaza Road, MpererweP.O Box 16548 Kampala UgandaP.O Box 16548 Kampala Uganda

Tel: +256 414590739Tel: +256 414590739+256782779763+256782779763

Email: Email: katalemwa@infocom.co.ugwww.katalemwacheshirehome.orgwww.katalemwacheshirehome.org