The Down Syndrome Association of Ghana (DSAG) has called for an expansion of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover comprehensive healthcare for children with Down syndrome. Currently, essential therapeutic services such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy are not fully covered under the NHIS basic benefits package. This has resulted in families bearing the high cost of these long-term interventions.
The call was made by Mrs. Agnes Teiko Nyemi-Tei, the Executive Director of DSAG, during the Association's commemoration of the 2026 Down Syndrome Awareness Month in Accra. The event, dubbed "Family Fun and Therapy Day", was organised in collaboration with Galaxy International School and SENA Pediatric Therapy Centre to promote learning, inclusion, and awareness. The Association aims to move beyond symbolic awareness campaigns towards sustainable policy interventions and long-term economic and infrastructural support for children with Down syndrome and their families.
Children with Down syndrome often face complex medical challenges, including congenital heart defects, thyroid complications, and hearing impairments. The cost of specialist consultations and diagnostic services places a significant financial burden on their families. Mrs. Nyemi-Tei urged the Government to expedite the inclusion of children with Down syndrome and their families in the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme to provide them with the necessary social protection.
Mothers and primary caregivers of children with Down syndrome often face social abandonment, stigma, and loss of livelihoods, turning the responsibility of caring for these children into an additional source of financial hardship. Madam Happy Emmanuella Akunlibey, Special Education Coordinator at the Tema West Municipal Assembly, urged parents to provide love, care, and support to promote the growth and development of children with Down syndrome.
Madam Akunlibey also called on the Government to establish assessment centres in all districts to identify the educational and healthcare needs of children with special needs. This, she believes, will relieve parents of some burden and enable them to support their children. Disability, she noted, is a long-term responsibility that parents must bear.
Mr. Stephen Ocansey, a parent of a child with Down syndrome, called for increased healthcare and educational support for children with the condition. He noted that families spend substantial amounts on hospital admissions due to the fragile health conditions of their children. October is observed annually as Down Syndrome Awareness Month, an initiative established in the 1980s by the National Down Syndrome Society.
The Down Syndrome Awareness Month aims to educate the public, celebrate the abilities of people with Down syndrome, and promote inclusion and advocacy. The DSAG's call for expanded NHIS coverage is part of efforts to promote sustainable policy interventions and long-term support for children with Down syndrome and their families.
Key points
- The Down Syndrome Association of Ghana is calling for the inclusion of essential therapies in the National Health Insurance Scheme.
- Children with Down syndrome face complex medical challenges and significant financial burdens on their families.
- The government is urged to establish assessment centres in all districts to identify the educational and healthcare needs of children with special needs.
