By Jumah Kakomo
The Ministry of Health has called for increased public awareness, early prevention of birth defects and improved access to healthcare and assistive technology for persons with disabilities.
The call was made by Dr Moses Muwanga, the assistant commissioner in charge of disability and rehabilitation at the Ministry of Health, during the penultimate day of the National Disability Summit held in Namugongo to commemorate World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Day.
The summit was organised by the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association Uganda (SHAU), an organisation that supports people living with the two conditions.
Dr Moses Muwanga, the assistant commissioner in charge of disability and rehabilitation at the Ministry of Health
The event brought together young people and other beneficiaries of surgical interventions for spina bifida and hydrocephalus. It also featured a youth forum where participants with different disabilities shared their experiences, discussed common challenges and learnt from one another.
Discussions focused on psychosocial wellbeing, sexual and reproductive health, career guidance, misconceptions about disability and the experiences of young people at different stages of life.
Dr Muwanga said the ministry was strengthening public awareness campaigns to address myths, misconceptions and stigma surrounding disability.
He noted that disabilities can affect people in different ways, including mobility, vision, hearing and intellectual functioning, adding that greater public understanding of these differences was essential to ensure that individuals received appropriate support.
He called for increased awareness of conditions such as spina bifida, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, autism and albinism, as well as the different healthcare and support needs of people living with them.
On prevention, Dr Muwanga emphasised the importance of preconception care, proper nutrition and early antenatal visits in promoting maternal and child health.
He encouraged women planning to become pregnant to seek professional medical advice and take folic acid before conception, in line with health guidelines.
Folic acid, a B vitamin, helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects, including spina bifida, when taken before conception and during early pregnancy.
Dr Muwanga also called for disability-inclusive infrastructure in health facilities and other public institutions, noting that some older buildings were constructed without adequate provisions for persons with disabilities.
He said these barriers could make it difficult for people with disabilities to access essential services independently.
On rehabilitation, Dr Muwanga highlighted the ministry’s programme to provide assistive technology to eligible persons with disabilities.
He explained that access to assistive products, including wheelchairs and other appropriate devices, involves assessment at health facilities, with distribution facilitated through the National Medical Stores.
Meanwhile, SHAU executive director Ruth Nalugya appealed to the government to improve access to essential medical supplies and assistive technologies for people living with disabilities, particularly those with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.
She warned that shortages of critical medical supplies could expose patients to severe complications, including kidney damage and death.
According to Nalugya, some children born with spina bifida require surgery to close an opening in the spine, while those who develop hydrocephalus may need surgery to insert a shunt, a medical device used to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain.
SHAU executive director Ruth Nalugya
She said patients with shunts require long-term monitoring and may need additional treatment.
Nalugya said the cost of managing the conditions remained a major challenge for many Ugandan families because essential medicines, medical supplies and assistive technologies were not readily accessible to everyone who needed them.
Among the supplies she identified as urgently needed were oxybutynin, a medicine used to manage certain bladder conditions, urinary catheters and bowel-management kits.
She expressed concern that some of these items were not adequately included in, or supplied through, government medical supply systems.
Nalugya also appealed to Parliament to reconsider taxes on diapers, arguing that their high cost was making it increasingly difficult for caregivers to obtain essential hygiene products for children who cannot independently control their bladder and bowel functions.
She said some children with spina bifida, particularly those who are very young, depend on diapers throughout the day, adding to the financial burden on their families.
Robert Ssewagudde, the Member of Parliament representing persons with disabilities, pledged to advocate for Parliament to waive taxes on diapers and other essential care products used by children living with disabilities, particularly those with spina bifida.
His pledge comes amid concerns that the high cost of daily care is placing an increasing financial burden on parents and caregivers, especially those from low-income households.
The calls at the summit highlighted the need for greater public awareness, improved access to essential medical supplies, inclusive public infrastructure and policies that make healthcare and daily care more affordable for people living with disabilities.
