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Our quarterly Media engagement was held on the Armed Forces Radio (107.7FM) on the International Day of The Child. It was used to sustain the discus, promotion and Advocacy for improved access to primary health care services for children with disabilities especially in rural communities. The discussion was centred on raising awareness, enlightening people on the discrimination, stigmatisation and the barriers to quality health for children with disabilities particularly in rural communities.
The program also discussed the measures that should be in place to address the challenges, emphasising on the role of government, health care providers, and private sector, Civil Society Organizations, Parents and Caregivers.
The media program which is the third in a series was a continuation of the sustained awareness creation and called on the public to stop stigmatizing children with disabilities and on responsible government agencies to put measures in place towards improving access to primary health care services for children with disabilities
It examined access to quality healthcare service points and the prevailing issues affecting children with disabilities particularly those with Cerebral Palsy. It educated and created awareness on disabilities particularly Cerebral Palsy and called on parents of children with CP to lead the advocacy and awareness creation. Armed Forces Radio has a very wide reach of north central and beyond and it is listened to by both sexes and ages. It has a listenership of well over Twenty Million people across the states of FCT, Nassarawa, Kogi, Benue, Niger and Plateau. The program was a phone-in program on Caring Hands, a disability advocacy program that is well-promoted and listened to. The program’s reach afforded SECHILD wide coverage of the message and participation of many people from the public who called in to express their ideas on what needs to be done.
They said they were impressed with what the organization is doing and called on the government which has the principal responsibility of ensuring quality health for children with disabilities to live up to expectations. The Anchor of the program, a wheel chair enabled personality also joined in the awareness creation and advocacy. During the radio program, many called but very striking is a caller who said she was very impressed with SECHILD is doing but emphasised that the organization cannot take the role of the government and called on government to take up their responsibility.