Lagos State Office of Disability Affairs (LASODA) has celebrated over 200 physically challenged children to mark the day of special needs children.
General Manager of LASODA, Mr. Oluwadamilare Ogundairo said the occasion was to give more credence to the government’s policy of inclusiveness.
He said: “This is a testimony of the government’s commitment to the THEMES+ Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s, where no one is left behind. Every year, we gather them to celebrate them. It is important to give them a sense of belonging.
Guest speaker, Mrs. Bisola Olufolajimi, who spoke on ‘Embracing the Future Generation through Hygiene’, emphasised the need to protect the children from harm.
She said: “Heath is wealth and hygiene is life. You are as clean as your life is, or the length of your life will be. We have been able to enlighten people here today on how children with disabilities should be kept safe via cleanliness at home, school or at the centres…’’
It is essential to ensure the areas they are kept are clean and protected from germs and bacteria which can cause infection and invariably death, because, children with disabilities tend to live longer and healthier in a safe environment.”
Mrs. Olufolajimi stressed that food poisoning can happen when their food is not well cooked, stressing that taking care of their skin, oral health and washing of hands before serving them food is also very important.
She also called for consistent awareness and advocacy on the need to prioritise their health.
A parent, Mrs. Oluchi Francis, said every child with a disability needs support and must be catered for in terms of oral hygiene, food nutrition, medication and finance.
Mrs Francis, whose child has cerebral palsy, called for government intervention and proper observation, as well as the provision of therapists to keep them alive.
