Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Minister endorses foundation to improve epileptics’ quality of life, survival

By Victor Ifeanyi Uzoho
11 May 2017   |   3:38 am
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, and the Oladehin family, has launched the Samuel Olafemiwa Oladehin (SOO) Foundation against epilepsy in Lagos.

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole

As part of efforts to improve the quality of life and survival of epileptics by increasing the knowledge and awareness of sufferers and care givers through evidence based interventions, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, and the Oladehin family, has launched the Samuel Olafemiwa Oladehin (SOO) Foundation against epilepsy in Lagos.

The SOO foundation jointly founded and funded by the Oladehin brothers, Olakunle Oladehin, Olufemi Oladehin and Temidayo Oladehin was initiated in remembrance of their father who passed on 10 years ago and in the legacy of their sister who died five years ago from seizure and brain haemorrhage associated with epilepsy.

The Oladehins at the inauguration said the core objectives of the Foundation are to address stigmatization associated with epilepsy amongst the general public, support research, development and evidence gathering activities for epilepsy, provide guidance to surfers and care givers on management of epilepsy, provide guidance on rehabilitation and social integration of sufferers, create a forum for experience sharing and group support and to promote, encourage, assist and co-operate with other bodies who may have similar or related objectives.

Adewole represented by Prof. Olufemi Olusamade of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), said, “there are various causes of convulsion or seizures, most of them are treatable, many of them are preventable and some of them are curable but some beliefs and practices carried out on epileptic patients are very harmful and leads to unnecessary loss of lives.

“All Nigerians should know that this present government is doing as much as possible to help all individuals especially those that have limited asses to health care and there are many programmes that have being instituted by the federal government of Nigeria to take care of indigent patients, and eradicate common diseases.”

In his speech Agabi Osigwe who was the main speaker for the day said, “truly epilepsy is a chronic disease of the brain that anybody can develop but majority of people living with epilepsy does not know the cause. About 70 per cent of epileptics have no known cause but however the rest 30 per cent have definite causes.

0 Comments