MTN Uganda Foundation in partnership with Comprehensive Rehabilitation services (CoRSU) will sponsor an additional 50 children with disabilities for corrective surgery besides the 80 that were sponsored in 2019.
The MTN-CoRSU Disability partnership was initiated in 2019 with the aim of improving the quality of life of vulnerable children and youth living with disabilities in Uganda especially those that would not easily access or afford the services.
CoRSU is a private local NGO located in Kisubi, founded in 2006 with a mandate to prevent disability and to restore ability for children through the provision of quality Orthopedic and Plastic surgery, assistive devices, therapy and Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR).
According to UNICEF, children, and youth living with disabilities was pointed out as one of the most excluded and marginalized groups in the world. Most of the disabilities, including things like partial paralysis, Juvenile idiopathic scoliosis, and neurological impairment, were attributed to limited access to health care, hazardous living conditions, malnutrition, and poor hygiene. This has led to the death toll of about 80% of children living with disabilities.
It is upon this premise that MTN Uganda Foundation partnered with CoRSU to intervene with the formulation of the “Improving the quality of life for children with disabilities in Uganda” project. The project has since provided mobilization services to bring together children with disabilities from hard-to-reach regions of Uganda like Karamoja region, Budduda region and Kalangala.
The 1st phase of the program cost UGX 184 million to provide corrective surgery for 80 children. This could include different types of surgeries depending on the conditions the children face, including newer regimens such as stem cell treatment for knees or joints, spine, and other parts of the body. This second phase will also be costing the same amount of UGX 184 million for 50 children to give them a more comprehensive treatment package that can allow up to two surgeries per child.
The project supports the mobilization of children and youth from the hard-to-reach regions in Uganda and selects patients who are financially unable to afford this treatment. They are then transported to CoRSU hospital where they receive extensive care from CoRSU specialists in form of quality therapies, corrective surgeries, inpatient hospital care and medical follow ups until they are in good health for discharge
Speaking at the launch event in Kisubi, the MTN Senior Manager for the MTN foundation, Brayan Mbasa Said “A child’s formative years are very crucial and with a disability they are faced with numerous challenges which is why we found it prudent to step in and give them a life changing opportunity that can be provided by modern medicine.”
“Children are truly the future, and at MTN we take that to heart and that’s why investing in preserving and bettering these children’s lives is a major priority in our foundation.” he added.
The Launch event comprised a sports gala that was a fun affair activity that aimed at promoting interaction, sports entertainment for the children at CoRsu.
The chief guest, Mr. Muhumuza Prosper the commissioner for Disabilities and the elderly of Ministry of Gender and Nudipu, while addressing the public at the CoRSU sports gala highly commended MTN for its efforts in supporting the government of Uganda in extending health services to the disabled.
“Companies like MTN have gone a long way in supporting various health initiatives to those in need and those who have no or limited access to medical care, we salute you MTN and pray that other companies can emulate your generosity.”
MTN Uganda under its purpose and ambition 2025 is committed to attaining the advancement of the United Nations SDG 3 whose goal is to ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being for all at all ages. These health prompting activities have been attained through MTN’s acceleration of implementation through partnerships.
