Stop discrimination of epilepsy sufferers, says Handicap Int’l

Epilepsy, despite plaguing 4.9 per cent of Rwandans according to research carried out by the Ministry of Health in 2005, is a little-understood disease. According to Handicap International-Rwanda, a non-governmental organisation which aims to help people living with disabilities, 53 percent of Rwandans believe that epilepsy sufferers are either demon possessed or cursed.These shocking statistics were revealed during a workshop organised by Handicap International yesterday. Eriya Mugabowishema, the Project Manager of Handicap International-Rwanda, said: “Due to the ignorance about this disease, epilepsy patients are often times taken to traditional healers because they are thought to be suffering from evil spirit attacks “. Mugabowishema also noted that epilepsy sufferers are stigmatised a lot; children are often banned from attending school while adults cannot wed or gain employment. He also stated that some parents go so far as to refuse to baptise their own children suffering from epilepsy. He called upon the general public to stop stigmatising epilepsy sufferers but instead treat them with love and care for them without segregation. In the last four years, Handicap International-Rwanda has identified 6338 epileptics in Rwanda, 4390 of who are undergoing medical treatment. In the same period of time over 460 health professionals, 415 traditional healers and 563 religious leaders have been educated on epilepsy by the organisation. Over 4500 community health workers have been mobilised and trained and over 900 epileptic pupils have been integrated into regular primary schools. Yvonne Kayiteshonga, the Director of the Psychosocial Consultation Centre, expressed her appreciation to Handicap International for its work. She called upon Rwandans to also change their mindsets towards epileptics and urged them to treat them normally. Epilepsy is the commonest neurological disorder and it’s a group of brain disorders characterised by seizures. It’s mostly caused by trauma, stroke, brain tumors and damage due to infections. According to World Health Organisation figures, 50 million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy with 90 percent of cases found in developing countries.

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Stop discrimination of epilepsy sufferers, says Handicap Int’l