Children Down syndrome in Ethiopia as Deborah, 11, is hosting lunch for other kids who have Down Syndrome, like her.
Her father says the family has been forced to seek expensive medical assistance overseas.
Abadula Gemeda, Deborah’s father, said, “There is no awareness at all in the world. No counseling, no assistant teachers, there are no behavioral health doctors in the medical centers.”
But in Ethiopia, many parents of children with Down Syndrome can’t afford to look for help abroad.
But in Ethiopia, many parents of children with Down Syndrome can’t afford to look for help abroad.
The prevalence of Down Syndrome in East Africa is not known, However according Dr. Selamnesh Tsige, a pediatric advisor at Tikur Anbessa Hospital,
“We do not have a reliable study in our country, but I see about 250 children with down syndrome every month in our hospital, for example, in my experience,” Selamnesh said.
Down Syndrome refers to children born with an extra chromosome, and there is a degree of intellectual disability in persons with the disorder.