The Centre for Learning and Childhood Development, a non-governmental organisation, is implementing a patient navigator programme for families of children living with developmental disabilities in the Greater Accra Region.

The programme seeks to create a community-driven interactive, print and online directory to key health, education and social services for children living with disabilities.

Mr Prince Owusu Gyebi, Operations Manager for CLCD, who made this known to the Ghana News Agency said: “we are creating a community-driven patient navigation programme to empower families of children with disabilities to thrive. We are connecting caregivers to available health, education and social services.”

Mr Gyebi said health and education indicators showed that children with developmental disabilities experience poor health and educational outcomes.

“While health, education, and social services exist, caregivers report significant challenges in locating, accessing, and addressing barriers to those services.”

Stigma and discrimination, broken relationships, lack of employment and caregiver-burdens are some of the challenges that families with children with developmental disabilities face.

“These experiences are occurring in a context where our research shows that health workers’ knowledge of developmental disabilities is also inadequate. This limited knowledge also impacts timely intervention to address the children’s needs,” he added.

The programme seeks to create a community-driven interactive, print and online directory to key health, education and social services for children living with disabilities.

The directory would compile health services including diagnostic, therapy, assistive devices, mental health, and emergency services.

The rest are social services such as the LEAP, mother support groups, counselling and legal services, and inclusive education services.

The directory would be accompanied by educational materials on what developmental disabilities are; how to identify them, and professionals who treat the impairments.

The programme is being funded by the Centre for Learning and Childhood Development-Ghana, in partnership with the Princess Marie Louise Hospital Accra, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Yale University, and Tugalou College.