Success Stories from Our Members in the field

Improving Child Health and Building Self-Sufficiency in Lithuania, Catholic Medical Mission Board

More than 60 percent of Lithuanian newborns are considered high-risk for neurological disorders, such as cerebral palsy. But the Catholic Medical Mission Board is helping these children get proper treatment so they can grow up healthy.

Neurological disorders can result in painful deformities, delayed development of speech and abnormal movement patterns. Under the healthcare system in the former Soviet Union, such children were often left neglected in institutions with limited access to specialized care.

In 1993, CMMB, an American nongovernmental organization, launched the Early Intervention Training Program to address the lack of therapists trained to treat neurological disorders. To date, the program has certified more than 250 Lithuanian physical therapists, nurses and teachers to diagnose and rehabilitate children with these disorders. Employing inexpensive, readily available equipment like rubber balls and floor mats, therapists helped the children develop proper neuromuscular movement. Thousands of children throughout Lithuania are now receiving effective, quality care.

Graduates of EITP have organized two professional associations to train other professionals, assist children and educate the public.

The graduates have gone on to establish early intervention centers, develop occupational therapy training programs and fit wheelchairs for 2,000 children. In January 2002, this program was expanded with an advanced course in pediatric training. The benefits are felt throughout the country, as Lithuania now detects, diagnoses and treats neurological disorders very effectively.