Children with Developmental Challenges

Children With Developmental Challenges 3(2+1)

Lesson 32 : Organizations Working for the Welfare of the Disabled

Preventive Programmes for Handicapped

The concern of planners and administrators is reflected through the existing programmes in our country which are implemented with the prime objective of prevention of childhood disabilities in our country covering the most vulnerable population --- children below 6 yrs, pregnant woman.

Some of the preventive programmes are:

1. Expanded Immunization Programme: This program aims at controlling major communicable diseases of children. It includes one of the important immunization program against polio, a major cause of orthopedically handicap in children.
2. Vitamin A prophylaxis against Blindness: Under this programme regular doses are given to children once in a month to prevent blindness and visual handicap due to vitamin A deficiency.
3. Maternal and Child Health Programme: Under this programme antenatal, natal, post natal, care is provided to program mothers and new borns. Efforts are made to ensure safe delivery.
4. National Programme for the control of sexually transmitted diseases: (STD) STD also causes many kinds of crippling conditions in children such as mental retardation, visual handicap. This program aims at controlling these diseases to reduce the risk of visual handicap and mental retardation.
5. National Goitre Prevention programme: goiter is a well known cause for mental retardation. Efforts are being made to reduce the prevalence of this disease by distribution of iodized salt in the endemic areas.
6. National Leprosy Eradication Programme: It is estimated that 28% of Leprosy patients are children below 14 yrs of age. This programme aims at reducing the impairment caused by Leprosy.
7. Nutrition programmes for mothers and children: To reduce the percentage of malnutrition which may also be a causative factor for mental retardation and other impairment among children.SNP programme provides supplementary foods to prevent the nutritional deficiencies to low income groups.
8. ICDS: the ICDS programme launched with the aim of reducing the morbidity and mortality rate among children. It provides a package of services, supplementary feeding, immunization, referral services to children (below 6 yrs) and also health and nutrition education to mothers. One of the major responsibility assigned to the Anganwadi worker is to identify children and mothers with “at risk” problems and children who are severely malnourished to provide referral services.