The Lagos State government has urged parents to prioritise the treatment, health and education of special needs children.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health district 1, Dr Olufunmilayo Bankole, said the state government has dedicated agencies and policies that see to the welfare of the special children.
Bankole gave the advice at the maiden edition of the conference organised by Treasured Kids Foundation (TKF) themed “Raising a community of change with one” in Lagos on Tuesday.
The conference is a platform created by the foundation to raise awareness for the care and prevention of congenital and genetic disabilities in African children between ages 0 and 12.
Speaking on the congenital abnormalities at the event, Bankole said, “I won’t say it’s a common condition. Congenital abnormalities happen right from birth. It comes from genetic disorders that happened when babies are born. It is not something that is very common but it’s a serious issue because it has a far reaching effect many of which people have to live with for the rest of their lives.
“All over the world, genetic disorders are not common but the real issue with it is when one out of 10, 000 live births happen, that one individual that is affected is going to be a source of emotional distress and financial drain on the family because it is very expensive to look after children with special needs.
“They have special needs in terms of their health and education and social interaction. This is because they are not cerebral like other children therefore it is easy for people to take advantage of their vulnerability in a lot of ways. So these are really the issues of genetic disorders.
“I am therefore encouraging parents and participants to get the needs of these children sorted out as much as they could. The family need to be empowered to be able to care for these children appropriately. They need to know the right nutrition and the treatment for them. They should also know the kind of education that is appropriate for them. Parents need people in the education and health sectors to be able to achieve this. They need people in the social services sector in order to empower special needs children.
“Our goal from the beginning has been to create opportunities where individuals with special needs, their families and professionals within the community can come together to share knowledge, inspire one another, and drive meaningful change; while also providing personalised support and resources to our beneficiaries. We strive to bring awareness to conditions that are very rarely talked about like congenital and genetic disorders, with the hope that it would help break down barriers and make our community safe and inclusive for everyone with disabilities.
“Our mission is to eradicate ignorance, negative stereotypes, social isolation and stigmatisation against these special children through prevention, early diagnosis, and intervention to reduce the incidence of congenital and genetic disorders in Nigeria and Africa.”
Chief Communication Officer, TKF, Pharm. Sarah Akerele called for community’s support and advocacy to creating awareness and educate the grassroots towards eradicating the stigma and neglect associated with children with congenital abnormalities.
Present at the events were religious leaders, CDAs, CDCs and community leaders, public healthcare workers in Igando-Ikotun and Alimosho General Hospital, youth representatives and representatives of Traditional Birth Attendants.
