PODCAM calls for equal access opportunities to social services

Parents of Disabled Children Association of Malawi (PODCAM) has urged people in the country to embrace children with various disabilities by creating access opportunities to social services as one way of attaining inclusiveness at all levels.

PODCAM Executive Director, Miriam Namanja, made the call at Mangochi during a District Executive Committee briefing on the association’s activities.

Namanja community members to open up to people with disabilities, particularly children so that they equally access their fundamental basic human rights thereby participate effectively in national development activities.

She said it was the intention of PODCAM to ensure more children have access to education.

PODCAM Executive Director expressed the need for proper handling of cases of abuse of children with disabilities.

Namanja said the association strives at promoting and advancing the welfare of children with disabilities from the household, community and national level.

Namanja, therefore, noted that early identification of disabilities in children was crucial to providing relevant interventions for their survival, growth, development and further assimilation in society.

She however disclosed that the United Nations Children Fund recently conducted a national survey to ascertain the situation on the ground in an attempt to effectively address all the problems surrounding children with disabilities.

According to PODCAM, there are over sixteen thousand and Mangochi alone has eight hundred and sixty three registered parents of children with disabilities.