Child Help executive director Blessings Chapweteka has called on stakeholders to work together to raise awareness of spina bifida and hydrocephalus, saying limited awareness is contributing to gaps in support for people living with the conditions.
He said that only 4 000 of an estimated 20 000 people with the conditions receive assistance.
Spina bifida is a birth condition in which the spine and spinal cord do not develop properly in the womb while hydrocephalus occurs when fluid builds up in the brain, causing the head to enlarge.
husband looks on. | Yvonnie Sakala
Chapweteka made the call on Thursday during the commemoration of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Day at Blantyre Sports Arena, formerly Blantyre Youth Centre.
“Awareness is a challenge because, as a country, we don’t talk about these conditions enough, like we do with other health conditions,” he said.
Patience Namalimansomba, a woman with spina bifida, shared her experience of overcoming challenges associated with the condition.
“People thought I would never get married, have a child or achieve anything in life because of the condition. But here I am today with my husband and my child, because I received help from the hospital and believed that disability is not inability,” she said.
Namalimansomba encouraged other people with the conditions to believe in their abilities and seek medical assistance.
Blantyre City Mayor Isaac Osman Jomo, who attended the event as the guest of honour, called on communities to support parents raising children with the conditions, saying many struggle to find the resources needed to care for them.
“Development is not only about constructing good roads; it is about the life we are giving to the people, including parents raising children with disabilities,” he said.
The event brought together Child Help, Gift of the Givers Foundation, the Parents and Guardians of Children with Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida and NeuroKids.
