PORTSMOUTH, UK - On World Down Syndrome Day 2009, Down Syndrome Education International has launched a new Global Education Fund to improve care and education for young people with Down syndrome wherever they live. The Fund will directly support advice, information and services for young people with Down syndrome and their families in low and middle income countries.
Almost all of the 200,000 children who will be born with Down syndrome in high income countries during the next decade will survive to adulthood. They will receive knowledgeable medical care, additional educational support and live in societies that have become, and continue to become, more welcoming and inclusive. These children can now look forward to richer and more fulfilling lives lasting in excess of 60 years.
However, without action now, half of the 2 million babies who will be born in low and middle income countries during the next decade will not live for even a few years. For the luckier ones who survive, abuse, neglect and exclusion are too common. Many health and educations systems are ill-prepared to provide knowledgeable care and support for young people with Down syndrome.
Commenting on the new initiative, Frank Buckley, Chief Executive of Down Syndrome Education International said, "This is unjust. Rich countries know how to help people with Down syndrome live increasingly fulfilled lives. Knowledgeable, modern medical care has increased life expectancy from 12 years to over 60 years in little over 5 decades. Modern educational techniques are helping young people with Down syndrome gain better speech, language, reading and maths skills. However, these improvements are not yet reaching the vast majority of children who have Down syndrome who are born in developing countries. The time has come to ensure all people with Down syndrome benefit from effective care and support."
Down Syndrome Education International has already begun to work with families, support groups and NGOs around the world to identify practical ways in which we can help to improve the care given to young people who have Down syndrome and to deliver outreach services. The new fund will support work to reach out to families, support groups, associations, NGOs and governmental organisations on the ground, providing hands-on advice, training and translated resources in low and middle income countries.
Contacts
Frank Buckley, Chief Executive, Down Syndrome Education International. Email press@downsed.org
Down Syndrome Education International
Down Syndrome Education International (DownsEd) works to improve education for young people with Down syndrome through scientific research and evidence-based information and support services. In the early 1980s, DownsEd pioneered early reading techniques to improve language learning for children who have Down syndrome. For 30 years, the charity has advanced scientific research investigating language, cognition, memory and speech development, literacy, numeracy, and education, leading to practical results that improve the lives of people living with Down syndrome today. The charity works with families, teachers and therapists, researchers and support organisations in over 180 countries, helping over 75,000 people with Down syndrome to achieve more every year.
Web site: http://www.downsed.org/
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