New project to help young children with disabilities

Families in Vientiane will enjoy a better quality of life because of fewer impairments and disablement, notably for mothers, newborns and young children, through a new project that is supported by the Belgium Government.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the ‘Enhanced Hospital-Based Screening and Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities’ project was signed for the Ministry of Health by the National Children’s Hospital Director Dr Bounleua Oudavong and Handicap International Country Director, Ms Anne Rouve-Khiev at Settha Hotel yesterday in Vientiane. The project is funded by GDG (Direction General Development) – Belgian Cooperation.

Handicap International Country Director, Ms Anne Rouve-Khiev said the three year project, funded by the Belgium Government with a budget of US$ 510,518.04 (about 4 billion kip), aimed to help children with disabilities in Vientiane that are identified during routine vaccination and health monitoring visits to the Children’s Hospital. Children identified as having, or at risk of disability, within the children’s hospitals and child clinics are referred for specialised screening and treatment.

“During the one year of project preparation and MoU negotiation Handicap has deeply appreciated the dynamism and motivation of the team of the Children’s Hospital, especially of Dr Phonedavanh and Dr Somxay, who have provided meaningful support for the planning of the activities and for the MoU process,” Ms Rouve-Khiev said.

Director of the Children’s Hospital Dr Bounleua Oudavong said that the Enhanced Hospital-Based Screening and Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities project was very important and truly beneficial for children with disabilities. The project will help identifying disability at the earliest possible stage as much more can be done for a child with a disability if the support comes at a young age to promote the idea that a child with disability can progress and develop and can one day fully participate in their community.

The project will also propose to children and their parents some basic functional rehabilitation support and stimulation at the hospital. It will also promote referral to existing rehabilitation and for accompanying parents to support them as care givers of their child with a disability and to encourage the exchange of experiences among them.

Source: Vientiane Times YouTube Channel
Published on March 30, 2015