Over 14,000 newborns examined by hospitals in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI: On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, IDPD, which falls on 3rd December every year, the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination, ZHO, announced the results of the implementation of the “3/12 Programme” for early disability detection in newborns in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which was launched in October 2018 in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, DOH, and the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority.

The ZHO is working on service provision continuity and work development and progression in all sectors despite the exceptional situation that both the country and humanity as a whole are currently experiencing, as a result of the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19.

Operational plans and implementation of the applied service programmes for people of determination, the continuation of various care and rehabilitation programmes, including the 3/12 Programme, workflow and efficiency across various service roles, and service provision across all of the organisation’s care and rehabilitation centres throughout the emirate are undertaken in accordance with national COVID-19 guidelines.

The organisation revealed that 14,902 newborns who were enrolled in the programme were examined by hospitals across the emirate, including 314 children in 2018, 8,517 children in 2019, and 6,071 children in 2020, 95 of whom were found to have various disabilities, 57 of whom were children of citizens’ families and 38 of whom were members of resident families.

The organisation developed an electronic link with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company - Seha, with the aim of early identification of disabilities at key developmental and life stages, such as during the provision of infant and child vaccinations, which is considered as the most effective method in controlling or eliminating various infectious diseases. From birth to six years, the organisation aims to utilise this important process to identify any indicators or symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders, communication disorders, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Regarding the results of the 3/ 12 Programme, Abdullah Abdulalee Al Humaidan, Secretary-general of the ZHO, said that several disability diagnoses, across various disability classifications, had been identified, but that with the rapid implementation of early intervention programmes, it is possible to protect these individuals and stabilise their diagnosis, preventing deterioration.