Accra March 20, GNA – The Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy and issues affecting families raising children with disabilities has added its voice to the call for government to improve support systems.
A statement issued and signed by Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director, and copied to the Ghana News Agency said persons living with Down Syndrome faced serious challenges in accessing basic services like education and healthcare.
“Persons living with down syndrome and their families need support, Support is a key human right that helps make other rights possible,” it said.
World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on March 21st every year. It is a global awareness day officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The goal is to help people understand and support those with Down syndrome better.
The date being the 21st day of the 3rd month was chosen to represent the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.
The theme for this year’s celebration is: “Improve our support systems.”
It stated that the support that persons living with down syndrome needed was different from each person and expressed the regret that Ghana did not have support systems that met the needs of people with disabilities and their families.
The statement said support systems should be based on human rights and include people with disabilities and their families at all stages of design, implementation, and monitoring.
The Special Mothers Project called on the Government to formulate laws and policies, implement and monitor support systems.
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