Family-Centered Intervention and Epidemiology of Developmental Delays and Disabilities in Kaski Nepal (FINE-DDD))

A recent study estimated that over 200 million children living in Low Middle-Income Countries will not fulfill their developmental potential, due to risk factors such as intrauterine growth restriction, malnutrition, infectious diseases and inadequate cognitive stimulation, and the World Health Organization has estimated that 93 million children in the world are living with a moderate or severe disability. But these numbers are just estimates, and true number of children affected by Developmental Delays and Disabilities (DDD) is not known. The knowledge gap of the problem which often leads not being prioritized in policy making and implementation plans for these population at local, district and national levels. Hence, this calls for an urgent need to do research to define problems and needs of the children with DDD along with the birth and environmental risk factors.

Golden Community has collaborated with Uppsala University and local stakeholder at the study site with the objectives:

• to carry out epidemiological study of the children with DDD in selected districts of Gandaki province which will generate evidence on the possible determining factors of DDD and relative effects on the neuro developmental milestones.
• to co-design an intervention model with local stakeholders and end-users for the caregivers of children with DDD
• to evaluate the feasibility of few intervention models adapted in other similar contexts.

The research project will include an efficient team of trained and qualified public health officers, nurse, physiotherapists and medical doctors/ pediatricians.