active· Health

Unlocking doors to early childhood interventions for health and education for children with vision or hearing impairment in Nepal

This project aims to increase the enrollment of disabled children at the pre-school age of 3-6 years in public schools simultaneously with other children of the age group. Identification of children with disabilities or disabling diseases is conducted by e xamining screened children at the eye + ear camps. Around 10 000 children will be provided with rehabilitation and/or simple treatment necessary for school attendance and prevention of additional morbidity. An estimated 75 children with severe visual or he aring disability will undergo a four month rehabilitation in the hospital run by the local partner organization (Children?s Hospital for Eye Ear and Rehabilitation Services CHEERS). To reach these goals volunteers are trained among female health workers te achers and students so they can identify children with neurosensory disabilities or at risk of disability whom will be sent to eye + ear camps for medical evaluation. This contributes to reducing the prevalence of disabling neurosensory conditions which is also achieved by raising awareness of health related to sight and hearing among locals as well as decisionmakers. The project envisages all four aspects of health care delivery; preventive promotive curative and rehabilitative services. The project is to be realized as a three-year pilot in two districts in the Terai region of Nepal. The project is to be realized as a collaboration between a Nepalese NGO called B.P. Eye Foundation which has developed the project idea and PSR Finland which has been contacte d by B.P. Eye foundation to act as a project partner. Based on the previous work of B.P.Eye Foundation this collaborative project also aims to change the Nepalese view on the rights of the disabled remove barriers and stigmas associated with disabilities a nd enable children with disabilities to become productive citizens. For sustainability of the activities the government of Nepal has made a preliminary commitment of implementing these protocols in other districts and eventually the whole of Nepal once the results of the pilot project turn out to be encouraging. B.P. Eye Foundation holds monthly meetings with the government and representatives from Early Childhood Development Center. The project is planned to start in 2015 with project duration of three yea rs.