The Chairman of Health Committee and Member of Parliament, (MP), for Berekum East, Dr. Kwame Twum-Nuamah has called on all, including Members to support people with living with Down Syndrome in their respective constituencies.
In a statement to commemorate World Down Syndrome Day, the Health Committee Chairman on The Floor of Parliament, said, the issue of managing people living with Down Syndrome should not only be the responsibility of parents, guardians or the government, but “Corporate Entities, Civil Society Organisations, (CSOs), Religious Bodies as well as colleague MPs’ are all being called upon to join in the advocacy and also provide support for the establishment of Child Development Centres so that those with Down Syndrome can be made useful to society”.
According to him, just like any normal person, people with Down Syndrome have two copies of each of their 23 chromosomes but they have third copy of chromosome 21, a genetic condition known as trisomy 21.
Another type of Down Syndrome is Mosaicism and it happens when some cells in the body are normal while others have Trisomy 21 characteristics.
Translocation is also a-type of Down Syndrome and happens when part of chromosome 21 breaks off during cell division and joins another chromosome, usually chromosome 14.
World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is observed on March 21, every year. The theme for this year is “Leave No One Behind”. On World Down Syndrome Day
On this day, people with Down syndrome and those who live and work with them throughout the world organise and participate in activities and events to raise public awareness and create a single global voice for advocating for the rights, inclusion and well being of people with Down syndrome.
Story by Edzorna Francis Mensah
