Up to two hundred thousand households across the country are expected to benefit from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme by the end of 2015, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has announced.

The Deputy Sector Minister, Mr. John Alexander Ackon, who disclosed this, said currently 90,785 households in 144 districts are benefiting from the programme, and by the middle of the year, the figure will be increased to 150,000.

Speaking at the launch of “President Mahama’s Easter Celebration with Persons With Disabilities (PWDs)” at Saltpond on Monday, he said social protection programmes are expected to be sustained and expanded, as part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bail out.

Five districts in the Central Region, comprising Mfantseman, Ekumfi, Agona East, Agona West and Assin North, benefitted from the pilot edition of “President Mahama’s Easter Celebration with Persons With Disabilities (PWDs)”.

Each district received cash of GH¢ 2,000, bags of rice, bales of slightly used clothes, mosquito nets, packaged cooked rice, beverages and bags of water, which were distributed to more than 300 PWDs and aged who attended the programme at the various districts.

Additionally, health personnel from their respective health directorates enlightened the beneficiaries on Ebola, Malaria, Cholera, and checked their blood pressures and weights, gave medical advice and referred those with serious conditions to the hospital.

Mr. Ackon said President John Mahama, in showing his commitment to the welfare of the vulnerable in society, initiated the programme to make PWDs, who often felt neglected during festive occasions such as Easter, to feel at home.

He enumerated other social protection programmes being undertaken by the Government, to include LEAP, and urged PWDs who are not members of their associations to join in order to benefit from such programmes.

He said, Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, have been directed to open separate accounts into which the two percent of their Common Fund for the PWDs, will be paid directly, to eliminate the undue delay in the disbursement.

He urged Ghanaians not to underestimate the abilities of PWDs, but rather help them develop the “amazing” skills some of them possess.

Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Central Regional Minister, re-echoed calls for sign interpreters to be engaged at various health facilities to enhance health care delivery to PWDs.

He urged PWDs to direct their concerns to the Regional Coordinating Council through their organisations, and gave the assurance that the Council will support them.

The Ekumfi District Chairman of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled, Mohammed Eshun Issah, expressed worry about the late payment of their common fund allocation, adding that the Association has received only the first quarter of last year's allocation.

He also appealed to Government and philanthropists to help the Association to acquire an office, so that it can be easily located, in addition to a centre, where members will be trained in various skilled jobs.

He expressed gratitude to Government for the Easter package.