Kathmandu, August 23:

The Ministry of Health and Population has prepared a strategy to treat disabled people aged under 14 years and rehabilitate them.

The National Childhood Disability Management Strategy, prepared with financial support from Save the Children Norway, also aims to reduce childhood disability across the country. As part of short-term strategies, the ministry plans to establish Childhood Disability Management

and Rehabilitation section under the Child Health Division of the Department of Health Services.

It also plans to establish central level and district-level committees to support and guide the NCDM programme.

The strategy underlines mobilisation of community health workers and volunteers to help identify and rehabilitate disabled children. Disability would be managed at the local levels. Parents and families would be taught about disability rehabilitation, curative rehabilitation services would be made accessible in central and regional hospitals and treatment and management service would be provided in district and zonal hospitals.

The strategy also stresses production of instruments and accessories needed for children with disabilities and underlines the need to make them available at affordable costs.