ZHO reveals outcomes of programme for early detection of newborns with disabilities

UAE HEALTHCARE

ABU DHABI- On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3rd December, the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination, ZHO, announced the outcomes of the implementation of the "3/12 Programme", a service for early detection of newborns with disabilities in Abu Dhabi.

The programme was launched by the organisation in October 2018, in cooperation with the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority.

Sedra Al Mansouri, Acting Director of People of Determination Services at the ZHO, said that the number of children screened by the programme since its inception amounts to 7,595, including 4,884 UAE citizens and 2,711 residents, adding that it detected 55 disabled children, including 43 UAE citizens and 12 children from resident families. She also noted that the recorded number of babies born with mental disabilities was 31, including 27 UAE citizens and four residents while the number with hearing disabilities was nine, with six citizens and three residents.

Those with multiple disabilities amounted to eight, comprising five citizens and three residents, and those with physical disabilities totalled six, including four citizens and two residents, while one visually impaired newborn citizen was recorded. Al Mansouri stressed that the organisation directly contacted 743 families, including 407 citizen families and 335 resident families. The ZHO has launched a joint electronic programme with the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, SEHA, which will monitor disabilities in all age groups for future study, especially during the stage when the children are vaccinated, to control or eliminate many infectious diseases from birth to six years of age.

Through this important step, the ZHO aims to detect any signs of childhood autism spectrum disorder, communication disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The organisation’s employees directly contacted the parents and families of the detected cases, as part of its efforts to ensure the educational needs of people of determination and support their families.