By Jesse Ampah Owusu, GNA
Accra, Oct. 29, GNA – The Down Syndrome Association of Ghana (DSAG) has called for expanded National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) coverage to provide comprehensive healthcare for children with Down syndrome.
The Association said essential therapeutic services, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, were not fully covered under the NHIS basic benefits package, forcing families to bear the high cost of
these long-term interventions.
Mrs Agnes Teiko Nyemi-Tei, the Executive Director of DSAG, made the call on Saturday at the Association’s commemoration of the 2026 Down Syndrome Awareness Month in Accra.
The event, dubbed: “Family Fun and Therapy Day”, was organised in collaboration with Galaxy International School and SENA Pediatric Therapy Centre to bring together families, healthcare providers and education professionals for activities promoting learning, inclusion and awareness.
Mrs Nyemi-Tei said the Association wanted to move beyond symbolic awareness campaigns towards sustainable policy interventions and long-term economic and infrastructural support for children with Down syndrome and their families.
She said children with the condition often faced complex medical challenges, including congenital heart defects, thyroid complications and hearing impairments, while the cost of specialist consultations and diagnostic services placed a significant financial burden on their families.
She urged the Government to expedite the inclusion of children with Down syndrome and their families in the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme to provide them with the necessary social protection.
Mrs Nyemi-Tei said mothers and primary caregivers often faced social abandonment, stigma and loss of livelihoods, turning the responsibility of caring for children with the condition into an additional source of financial hardship.
Madam Happy Emmanuella Akunlibey, Special Education Coordinator at the Tema West Municipal Assembly, urged parents to avoid isolating children with Down syndrome and instead provide them with love, care and support to promote their growth and development.
She also called on the Government to establish assessment centres in all districts to identify the educational and healthcare needs of children with special needs.
“When this is done, parents will be a bit relieved and they will be able to also go out to support their children. Disability is not a one day thing. It is something that parents will have to bear for a very long time,” she said.
Mr Stephen Ocansey, a parent, also called for increased healthcare and educational support for children with Down syndrome.
He said families spent substantial amounts on hospital admissions because of the fragile health conditions of their children.
October is observed annually as Down Syndrome Awareness Month, an initiative established in the 1980s by the National Down Syndrome Society to educate the public, celebrate the abilities of people with Down syndrome, and promote inclusion and advocacy.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Jesse Ampah Owusu
Email: [email protected]