LEAP to cover persons living with Cerebral Palsy

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is to enrol persons living with Cerebral Palsy (CP) onto the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.

Members of households of persons living with CP are also to be registered freely onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Gifty Twum Ampofo, announced this at a forum organised by Pumpkin Foundation to commemorate the World Cerebral Palsy Day last Tuesday.

“The patients will be enrolled before the end of this year,” she said and explained that the cash transfer was to help ease the financial stress on parents and guardians of persons living with CP.

Beneficiaries of LEAP are from poor families that care for orphans and vulnerable children.

Also included are the aged, 65 years and above, very poor pregnant women, infants below the ages of one and the severely disabled who cannot work.

Ms Ampofo also said some parents of CP persons would be signed onto other livelihood programmes for them to generate income for their families, while others would be supported to engage in trading.

World Cerebral Palsy Day

The World Cerebral Palsy Day is set aside to celebrate and affirm the lives of the people living with CP. The project was launched in 2012 by Cerebral Palsy Alliance (Australia) and United Cerebral Palsy (USA).

The day which is marked every October 6, is to also create awareness and celebrate achievements of persons living with CP.

Addressing the forum, the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu, said children with special needs ought to be supported, stressing that “the best cure is to show love”.

“We must stop connoting CP with evil spirits and curses and find modern practical ways of unearthing the talents of children with this condition”,  he urged.

He added that the ministry would pay attention to CP by collaborating with other ministries such as the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to address the health needs of CP persons.

About CP

The Founder of the Health Support Foundation, Mr James Gawu, in his presentation on CP, explained that it was a neurological disorder which occurred through a non-progressive brain injury or malformation during brain development.

Some of the signs and symptoms of the condition, Mr Gawu said, were lack of muscle coordination when performing voluntary movements, weakness in one or more arms or legs, walking on the toes, a crouched gait, or a “scissored” gait and delays in reaching motor skill milestones.

Although the disorder might occur inevitably, he said, some of the preventive measures included avoidance of alcohol and drugs during pregnancy.  

Mr Gawu added that it was important to immunise all children, while pregnant women should take their antenatal care seriously.

He further advised parents to take care of children to avoid falls and injuries and seek prompt medical care when the injuries occur.

Show love

The Board Chairman of the Pumpkins Foundation, Commissioner of Police Dr George Akufo Dampare, said CP children were special and unique in their own way, and therefore, they should be given the needed care and love.

He urged society not to neglect them but rather see them as unique.