Apnalaya, a Non-profit organization is making people aware about the link between marriages among people belonging to common ancestry and the medical complications and disabilities that children born to such couples may have.
With an aim to spread awareness among the residents of Shivaji Nagar slum about the link between consanguineous marriages (marriage between people descending from the same ancestor) and disabled children, some residents of the area along with Apnalaya, a non-profit organisation, will soon be conducting an awareness drive.
According to the NGO, people with disability face various difficulties in life ranging from medical treatment and education to daily activities. "These children are incapable of doing certain things, but society lables them as disabled," said Dr Arun Kumar, CEO, Apnalaya
The NGO, which works with differently-abled children in the Shivaji Nagar slum area, conducted a survey on the issue and found that out of the 500 differently- abled children they work with, the parents of 25 per cent had a consanguineous marriage.
Speaking about the survey, Kumar said, “We will be reaching out to the community with the help of the survey conducted in their own area. This will help us spread awareness and ask people to reconsider a consanguineous marriage. We have to work further on the cause to empower the community to rehabilitate people with disabilities.”
Apnalaya has been looking at identifying social, economic, and cultural factors that contribute to consanguineous marriages, which has been identified as one of the causes. “We plan to guide people to spread awareness on the issue among other residents, through various activities,” said Kumar.
An RTI response from the Public Health Department of ME-Ward in May 2016 revealed that the population of disabled persons in the ward is 1,596.
“The survey was conducted in August and September 2016. Of the 25 per cent cases of consanguineous marriages we came across, we took in-depth interviews and group discussions of 40 per cent of them. Research results suggest that the major reasons behind indulging in consanguineous marriages are — families are acquainted to each other, a family tradition of doing so, daughter remains a part of the extended family,” said Kumar. The survey also states that 62 per cent of the men belonging to the sample group spoke in favour of consanguineous marriages.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "An RTI response from the Public Health Department of ME-Ward in May 2016 revealed that the population of disabled persons in the")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}