Empowerment
By Talatu Maiwada
Abuja, March 21, 2018 (NAN) Mrs Olubunmi Lawal, the President, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalous Foundation, has urged Federal Government to empower people with down syndrome with various skills in spite of their health challenge.
Lawal made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja in commemoration of the 2018 World Down Syndrome Day.
She said World Down Syndrome Day was an occasion where people come together to raise awareness and advocate for the rights, inclusion and wellbeing of people with down syndrome.
She added that people with down syndrome deserved love and care from parents, community and government, with no form of discrimination and stigmatisation.
According to her, education, proper care, capacity building and creativity will improve their quality of life, reduce dependency on families and the society.
She noted that “government needs to invest in people with down syndrome by building their capacity and engaging them in skill acquisition programmes that will make them productive and financially independent.
“Government should also provide facilities for specialised education in schools to enhance their educational skills.
“We want an inclusive education where people with the condition will grow and learn with other children.”
Lawal said the celebration of the day was also
to focus on independence, self-advocacy and freedom of choices for people with the condition.
She explained that down syndrome was a chromosomal disorder also known as trisomy 21, associated with delay in cognitive ability, physical growth and particular set of facial characteristics.
“Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21.
“It is associated with physical growth delays, facial features and mild to moderate intellectual disability.”
Lawal said the world observe World Down Syndrome Day every March 21, adding that the day was selected to signify the uniqueness of the condition.
“In every cell in the human body, there is a nucleus where genetic material is stored in genes.
“Genes carry the codes responsible for
inherited traits and are grouped along rod-like structures called chromosomes.
“The nucleus of each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21.”
She said some common physical traits of down syndrome include low muscle tone, small stature, and an upward slant to the eyes among others.
Lawal added that each person with the condition was a unique individual and may possess various characteristics to different degrees.
She said the disorder could be identified during pregnancy by prenatal screening followed by diagnostic and genetic testing or by direct observation.
Lawal, however, urged parents of children with down syndrome to always love and support them to build their future as there was no cure for the condition.
“Parents should be more conscious of how to improve the lives of their children with special needs.
“We should teach our children to behave well, even better than us. It is genetic but parents have active roles to play in the lives of their children,’’ she said. (NAN)
TIM/VOE/HA
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Edited by Vivian Emoni/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu