Rehabilitation of Disabled Children
(RDC)(0-6 yrs) in Maharashtra
Funding Agency:IMPACT Foundation, UK
Theme of IMPACT/RDC Programme:
ACTION TODAY
PREVENTS DISABILITY TOMORROW
Background:
The partnership between IMPACT, UK and KEMHRC, Pune can be traced as far back as 1990. The Late Sir John Wilson's vision of trying to prevent disability in children by employing the concept of inter sectoral collaboration and co-operation was very well received by our own visionaries - the Late Dr. Banoo Coyaji, Founder Chairperson and the Late Dr. V. N. Rao, our first Research Director.
Introduction :
KEMHRC & IMPACT UK have been working together for the past several years in the field of prevention and detection of disability alongwith rehabilitation of disabled children in rural Maharashtra for children in the 6-18 years age group. We finally began working with 0-6 years age group from 2006. All the 33 districts (Rural Population) were covered in co-ordination with Zilla Parishad officers. They gave full co-operation while working with us. Other departments like ICDS, Health, Education, Commission of Persons with Disability of Zilla Parishad helped throughout the project.
Projects undertaken with IMPACT collaboration
Period | Project title | Sponsor |
1989-1991 |
WHO-Collaborative Study - Integrated intervention of disability prevention |
WHO-ICMR |
1994-1999 | Prevention of childhood disabilities State Level IMPACT project | IMPACT UK and UNDP |
1999-2002 | Scaling up of integrated approach to disability prevention project | IMPACT UK and UNDP |
2002-2005 | A program on integrated Education for disabled children(IED) | IMPACT UK and MPSP |
2006-2012 | Prevention and rehabilitation of disabled children in the age group 0-6 years | IMPACT UK |
2012-2017 | Development of Pune Rural District as a model for prevention o disability children | IMPACT UK |
Objectives:
a) To identify disabled children (0-6yrs) from the project area and to make efforts to rehabilitate them by tapping resources from the government, NGOs, voluntary agencies and community.
b) To create awareness about causative factors of disabilities and motivation for prevention of disabilities in the community.
c) Offer needy children surgical intervention and aids & appliances through Govt., Nodal NGOs, KEMHRC RDC Project and community at affordable rates or 50 % concession.
d) To work as a facilitator for strengthening the universal immunization programme (UIP) incorporating rubella & other essential vaccines.
Methodology :
Involving the supervisory staff of ICDS (Bal Kalyan) and health department our District Coordinators were able to serve children in the 0-6 years age group. Children with disabilities (D/D) were taken to the Primary Health Centre, where the medical officers confirmed the disabilities and gave on the spot treatment for minor ailments. Those who required expert opinion were referred to specialists. The need assessment of all referred disabled children has been completed. Project staff followed the disabled children for their availment, surgical intervention or aids & appliances, motivating the government machinery, NRHM, NGOs, Voluntary agencies and community.
Action Plan:
Activity | Period | Responsibility |
Preparation of the block profile | April-May | KEMHRC Staff |
ICDS starff and Health staff training for detection of diseases & disability among children | June-Juluy-August | KEMHRC Staff |
Primary screening of all 0-6 years children | September-October | ICDS Staff & PHC Staff |
D/D children list to be submitted to ICDS Officer (Referral List) | November-December | ICDS Staff |
Arrnging need assesment camps | January - February | PHC/RH/Civil Surgeon Expert team |
Arranging surgical intervention and aids & appliances camp | March | Civil surgeon & District Health Officer |
Follow up cases, IEC activities, rubella vaccination of adolescent girls & diet planning | June-March | KEMHRC Staff, ICDS, PHC Staff |
InterSectoral Coordination
Activities undertaken
i) Training, screening, interventions
- Training of Anganwadi workers
- Training of ICDS Project Supervisors
- Training of Health staff
- Screening procedure for 0-6 years children
- 0-6 years children screening by AWW
- 0-6 years D/D children as screened by AWW
- 0-6 year D/D children screened by MO,PHC
- Treatment "on the spot"
- D/D children referred for Intervention
- Children operated/provided aids & appliances
ii) IEC Activities
- Health awareness
- Pamphlets distribution
- Rubella vaccination
iii) Development activities
- Kitchen gardens
- Model village
- Environment solution programme
iv) Training programmes for the community
- Health education
- Programme for newly married couples
- Grampanchayat members training programme
- ANC/PNC programme
- Vocational guidance
- Nutritional guidance
- Environmental sanitation (Toilets & Soakage pits)
Training programme :
A one day basic (prevention & rehabilitation development) training programme was organized by ICDS and Health Staff through KEMHRC & IMPACT UK, project staff as inter sectoral coordination with block incharge. In this training programme all Anganwadi Workers, ICDS block Incharge CDPO, ICDS Supervisors and Health Staff attended the training programme. The main purpose was to train them on how to screen 0-6 years children, identify their disability, how to manage the treatment and their rehabilitation. We also gave training on developmental activity and how to implement it with village support. The Director Research Centre, Project Consultant, Dietician, Senior Research Officer, ICDS Project Officer, PHC Medical Officer, Field Coordinator and resource persons participated in the training programme.
Rubella sensitization and vaccination programme
As part of preventive measures against disability, parents, school going children and dropouts are targeted by giving them lectures, presentation, talks on topics like health and personal hygiene, balanced diet, importance of routine vaccination and rubella vaccination. Adolescent girls were given information about prevention of disability, rubella virus, possible congenital deformities in the foetus if mother gets rubella virus infection in the first trimester of pregnancy. They were also given information about the available rubella vaccine and that just one dose can give long immunity against rubella virus infection.
The plan of action is as follows:
- Target group: Adolescent girls, school dropouts, parents, newly married couples
- Sensitization of the officials
- Workshops at the block level staff
- Sensitization of the beneficiaries
- The process of vaccination
- Coordination
Pune Rural District Model Project
After the above project was completed it was felt that we should work in an area closer to KEMHRC which led to the idea of developing "Pune Rural District Project" as a model for demonstrating how we could involve the local people in this campaign against disability and develop rural activity with the help of community people and likeminded NGOs. A 5 year (2012-2017) project was planned, which had several new features like involvement of Grampanchayat members, community, newly married couples, adolescent groups, (school going & drop out) training, special camps etc., activities through intersectoral coordination with government, NGOs and community.
All the 13 blocks in the district will be covered (Rural Population) in Co-ordination with Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer (CEOs). Other departments like ICDS, Health, Education, Commissioner of Persons with Disability, ICDS Commissioner of Maharashtra will help in carrying out the following :--
- Training, Screening intervention
- IEC activities
- Development activities
- Training programme for the community
- Special activities
Pune Rural District Model Project
District and Block Officers Coordination meeting |
Reorientation training of ICDS and Health Staff |
Screening of D/D children by Anganwadi worker |