Project set to benefit deaf, blind children

By ANNE ROBI

AN International Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) has started a project with Temeke Hospital in Dar es Salaam in order to identify children with deaf-blindness towards ensuring early interventions aimed at developing and supporting their lives for a better future.

Sense International Organisation through the project will screen 72,000 mothers with children aged 0-5 years for a period of three years, where it will identify 80 to 100 children with deaf-blindness with the objective of allowing children to communicate with and get involved in their community.

The programme will also enable the government adopt the system. Country Director of Sense International Tanzania, Mr Geoffrey Atiel told an editors meeting that the project titled Early Intervention for Children with deaf-blindness and multi sensory impairments came into operation in February this year and is expected to be implemented in three years.

“We will have two stages for screening the mothers with children between 0-5 years of age.

During the first stage we will be asking mothers questions in order to determine whether they are at risk of causing deaf-blindness to children,” he said, noting if any risks will be determined, the children will be referred to three identified health facilities, namely Yombo Vituka, Mbagala Roundtable and Temeke hospital.

“At the identified hospitals, the children suspected to be at risks or signs of being deaf-blindness will be screened by trained health personnel at the hospitals in order to undertake all the steps for ensuring development and other treatment for the children,” he said.