Ghana has no concrete policy for children with Cerebral
Palsy, Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Initiator of the Special Mothers Project, has said.
“Children with Cerebral Palsy are without any protection in
our society, this is what pushes many parents to dump their children in this
modern era,”
She, therefore, called on the Ministry of Gender, Children
and Social Protection to work towards a policy that protects and support
children with Cerebral Palsy
Mrs Awadzi said this when members of the Special Mothers
Project met to discuss welfare issues.
The Special Mothers Project is a project that advocates and
creates awareness about Cerebral Palsy issues in Ghana
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder that affects muscle tone,
movement, and motor skills (the ability to move in a coordinated and purposeful
way). It is one of the most common congenital (existing at or before birth)
disorders of childhood
CP usually is caused by brain damage that happens before or
during a baby's birth, or during the first 3 to 5 years of a child's life. This
brain damage also can lead to other health issues, including vision, hearing,
and speech problems; and learning disabilities.
Mrs Awadzi said there was the need for a policy that
encourages society to accept children with the condition instead of shunning
them.
“We live in a society where some children with CP are
shunned and discriminated against, to the extent that some educational and
health institutions rejects them,” she said.
“A society or nation is worth dying for if it caters for her
vulnerable,” she said, pointing out that the difference between the developed
societies and the under-developed society is how they care for their vulnerable
people.
Ghana last year launched a child protection and welfare
policy which seeks to establish a well-structured and coordinated child and
family welfare system that promotes the well being of children, prevents abuses
and protects children from harm.
However, the policy is a bit vague on childhood
disabilities.
