Ethiopia
11-year-old Deborah is hosting lunch for other children like her who have Down Syndrome.
Her father says the family was forced to seek costly medical help abroad.
“There is no knowledge at all in the country, there is no therapy, no assistant teachers, there is no behavioral developmental doctors in the medical centers", said Abadula Gemeda, Deborah's father.
But many parents of children with Down Syndrome in Ethiopia can't afford to look overseas for support.
Dr. Selamnesh Tsige, a consultant pediatrician at Tikur Anbessa Hospital says the prevalence of Down Syndrome in the east African is not known.
“We don’t have a reliable study in our country but in our hospital for example, in my experience, I see about 250 children with down syndrome every month", said Selamnesh.
Down Syndrome refers to children born with an extra chromosome - and people with the condition have some level of learning disability.
02:03
Sudanese doctors offer free medical services to displaced people
02:31
Cholera outbreak: Medical experts, government move to curb spread
Go to video
Drought threatens millions of children as school dropouts rise along with hunger in southern Africa
01:54
Paris 2024 Olympics: concerns linger over the Seine's water quality
01:20
Nearly 160 health facilities in Syria at risk
01:00
WHO warns one million children face acute malnutrition in DR Congo