A child-focused non-governmental organization, Pumpkins Foundation is calling for free physiotherapy for children living with Cerebral Palsy.

The Foundation’s Executive Director, Baisiwa Dowuona-Hammond in a statement to commemorate the World Cerebral Palsy Day stated that most families with children living with Cerebral Palsy are forced to opt out the very crucial component of care due to their inability to pay for the sessions.

She said, "The Pumpkins Foundation avails itself to partnerships with the relevant authorities and stakeholders in an effort to making physiotherapy free and easily accessible for all children living with the condition, a gesture that undoubtedly will help lessen the financial burden on affected families".

Mrs Dowuona-Hammond also expressed concern about how persons living with Cerebral Palsy are stigmatized as it urges an improvement in the quality of care for the children.

"On the issue of systemic challenges faced by these vulnerable children whom we represent, we believe strongly that there is the need for health policymakers in Ghana to prioritize the public education of Cerebral Palsy to reduce the pervasive and gendered stigmatization," she highlighted.

While reminding the Ministries of Health, Gender, Children and Social Protection as well as the Ghana Education Service of their commitment to an all-inclusive programme for all children, the Foundation wished for some urgency to the process, advocating an end to all forms of neglect against children with CP.

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a non-progressive disorder of posture or movement caused by a lesion to the developing brain that results in functional limitations.

The diagnosis of CP can vary from one child to another, causing family stress because of vague and unknown outcomes of the disorder. It has no cure. Around the world, Cerebral Palsy affects some 17 million people.