December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities; a commemorative day observed each year on December 3rd when people around the world take time to understand and support those living with disabilities. This Day was first promoted by the United Nations in 1992 and has been observed every year since.
On this special Day of awareness, CURE International is both proud to have made a difference in the lives of so many and humbled by the need to extend care to more people suffering from a treatable disability.
According to a recent report published by UNICEF, nearly 240 million children today are suffering from at least one disability. For perspective, 240 million is roughly equivalent to the populations of Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Malawi — combined.
The UNICEF report used an advanced research method known as The Child Functioning Module to perform the first-ever cross-national survey with comparable data on children with disabilities to estimate the total number of children with disabilities.
In addition to the total number of children suffering from disabilities, the report also shed light on how children with disabilities perform in life compared to their healthy peers.
Children with disabilities are:
- 53% more likely to have symptoms of acute respiratory infection
- 49% more likely to have never attended school
- 42% less likely to have foundational reading and numeracy skills
- 24% less likely to receive early stimulation and responsive care
“The extent to which children with disabilities are deprived, feel discriminated against and lack hope for the future makes it clear that societies are not doing enough to realize the most basic human rights of all children,” the UNICEF report states. “As a result, the vicious cycle of exclusion and disadvantage that leaves children with disabilities behind continues.”
When CURE International treats a disabled child, we not only treat a debilitating health condition but also get the world closer to ending the social exclusion that children with disabilities face.
Every one of these statistics represents real, breathing children. We must also remember that there is something that can be done today to alleviate treatable disabilities in children.
CURE International’s hospitals provide world-class care by highly-trained surgeons and caregivers who provide life-changing treatment for children with disabilities. The generosity of CURE’s donors allows the nonprofit organization to provide free pre-surgery evaluation, surgery, physical therapy, and mobility device fitting options for children in the poorest countries in the world.
“While CURE International has long recognized the pressing need to treat children with disabilities, this new report demonstrates just how much work there is still to do,” said Justin Narducci, President, and CEO of CURE International.
CURE staff not only treats the physical ailments of its patients but also shares the love of Jesus Christ with patients, caretakers, and their communities. Through your support of CURE International, our hospitals can continue their life-changing treatment of children living with treatable disabilities. To donate or learn about other ways to give, click here.
About CURE International
CURE International is a Christian nonprofit organization that operates a global network of pediatric surgical hospitals, which serve one of the world’s most marginalized and vulnerable populations – children with disabilities. Patients at CURE hospitals suffer from orthopedic, neurosurgical, and maxillofacial conditions that limit their mobility/functionality and opportunities for education and employment. In addition to world-class clinical service, CURE intentionally ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients in its care and invests in training programs that aim to equip the next generation of health workers and strengthen national health care systems. Since inception, CURE has conducted more than 5.3 million patient visits and 330,000 surgical procedures around the world. For more information, visit https://cure.org/.