On December 2, 2020, on the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Ukrainian Academy of Childhood Disability and Gladpharm LTD LLC, which is part of the Kusum Group of Pharmaceutical Companies.

The Memorandum provides for joint and coordinated implementation of projects in the field of comprehensive medical and social care for children and adolescents with disabilities and their families through continuous training of medical staff and parents, as well as providing and developing educational materials on all aspects of childhood disability.

Volodymyr Yuriyovych Martyniuk, Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian Academy of Childhood Disability: “Over the past five years, the disability rate in children has increased by more than 7%. The number of children with disabilities as of 01.10.2020 was almost 164,000. Of these, more than 100,000 children have a disability directly or indirectly related to pathology of the nervous system.

The main purpose of the Academy is to promote the creation of conditions for the provision of comprehensive medical and social assistance to children and adolescents with disabilities and their families, continuous improvement of knowledge and skills of rehabilitation specialists and training of parents in methods of rehabilitation care.

The main activities of the Academy are:

• providing regular training and exchange of information on all aspects of childhood disability;
• introduction in Ukraine of modern concepts of assistance, development, training and support of children with disabilities;
• support of complex (medical, educational, social) scientific and practical research on treatment, rehabilitation;
• introduction in Ukraine of the system of formation of modern knowledge and skills on the basics of palliative care for children, etc.

In the context of professional and social changes, in particular views on childhood disabilities, to offer new guidelines for the provision of rehabilitation services based on modern technological advances to improve the socialization of children with disabilities and the full functioning of their families in society.

To achieve the goal and activities the NGO “Ukrainian Academy of Childhood Disability” requires comprehensive support from partners. The first partner to agree to support the work of the Academy was Gladpharm LTD LLC that is part of the Kusum Group of Pharmaceutical Companies. The Board and members of the Academy are infinitely grateful to the employees of Kusum Group of Pharmaceutical Companies for their support in the formation and development of the NGO “Ukrainian Academy of Childhood Disability”.

Rajeev Gupta, Managing Director of Kusum Group of Companies: “Our cooperation with the Ukrainian Academy of Childhood Disability began long before the official signing of the memorandum. Kusum staff helped organize conferences as volunteers.

Childhood disability is a very delicate issue, with which, unfortunately, parents of special children are left alone. You don’t have to turn away from these children or pretend you don’t see them. It is necessary to create favourable conditions for their full life. I am sure that by working together we will be able to draw public attention to the issue of childhood disability, as well as do everything in our power to improve the quality of treatment and rehabilitation of young patients”.