Project To Identify Alternative Treatment For Celebral Palsy In The Offing

A non-governmental organisation Centre for Learning and Childhood Disabilities is implementing a research project that seeks to identify alternative forms of treatment for children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Dubbed: "Identifying Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Treatment for Paediatric Cerebral Palsy in Ghana," the project will identify alternative and integrative methods used by mothers and caregivers to care for children with the condition.

It will also document the strategies caregivers use to support children with the condition to overcome functional limitations such as difficulty in walking, sitting, eating among others.

Mr. Prince Owusu Gyebi, Operations Manager, Centre for Learning and Childhood Disabilities (CLCD), a non-governmental organisation focusing of childhood disabilities, made these known at the launch of the project on Thursday in Accra.

Mr Owusu Gyebi said early diagnosis for children with cerebral palsy is critical towards reducing morbidity and mortality.

Despite the importance of medical treatment for the condition, there were instances where many families stopped using hospital services due to the stress involved, and resort to utilize alternative methods to alleviate symptoms of children with CP.

"Through our previous research, we know that caregivers have developed innovative ways to train children to perform activities like walking, sitting, eating etc. We want to learn these approaches and document the best practices to create educational programmes that will guide other caregivers and health workers in caring for children with CP," he added.

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Founder and Executive Director of the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy commended the NGO for embarking on the project, saying it would bring on board new ideas that would help shape policy direction of CP in Ghana.

The project is being funded by the Centre for Learning and Childhood Disabilities and the Minority Health International Research Training Grant from the Brown University, USA in partnership with the University of Georgia, and Notre Dame University, all in the USA.

Source: GNA