Ministry of Health Partners With #DontHideMe Campaign to Promote Disability-Inclusive Healthcare
The Ministry and the #DontHideMe Campaign agreed to collaborate in developing permanent solutions which will help children through family assistance while removing obstacles disabled individuals face in receiving healthcare and education and social services.
The Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, today hosted a delegation from the #DontHideMe Advocacy Campaign, led by Mohammed Dayow. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
The Ministry of Health has formed a partnership with the #DontHideMe campaign to promote healthcare services that accommodate people with disabilities.
Mary Muthoni, the Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, met with Mohammed Dayow who led the #DontHideMe Advocacy Campaign to discuss ways to improve disability-inclusive healthcare throughout the country during their consultative meeting on Tuesday.
The team worked to improve rights and dignity and overall health for children with disabilities who live in remote areas with limited access to healthcare and rehabilitation services. The #DontHideMe Advocacy Campaign which operates mainly in Northern Kenya unites various organizations to combat the social exclusion and stigma that prevents disabled children from receiving vital services.
The two sides investigated possible partnership opportunities with the Ministry of Health during their meeting. The discussion included three main points which involved finding disabilities through early screening methods and making rehabilitation and therapy services more widely available and building better public health referral systems to guarantee ongoing medical treatment for children.
The Ministry of Health operates in accordance with its commitment to provide equal healthcare access according to PS Muthoni who believes that all children should receive treatment regardless of their disability or their home location. She made known that healthcare delivery must establish partnerships with civil society organizations and advocacy groups and local communities to reach vulnerable community members.
“Children living with disabilities face unique challenges that require tailored interventions and consistent support,” Muthoni said. “Our partnership with #DontHideMe advocacy groups help us protect these children through visibility which ensures they receive their necessary quality medical treatment.”
The meeting showed that public health programs need comprehensive plans to reduce stigma while promoting inclusion of disabled children into existing health and social services. The group decided to improve healthcare provider training programs while building community awareness and establishing monitoring systems which will help create effective referral processes to maintain ongoing patient treatment.
The organizations involved in the consultative meeting agreed to deepen their collaborative work to create public health programs which will help disabled children in Kenya gain better access to services while increasing their visibility and service quality. The Ministry and the #DontHideMe Campaign agreed to collaborate in developing permanent solutions which will help children through family assistance while removing obstacles disabled individuals face in receiving healthcare and education and social services.
The partnership demonstrates how society increasingly understands that disability-inclusive policies create equal healthcare access while the Ministry remains dedicated to developing a health system which provides equal service to all children without regard to their disabilities or their residence area.
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