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Wa, Ghana – The Wa Municipal Coordinator for Mental Health in the Upper West Region, Sylvester Basagnia, has dispelled misconceptions that the condition is contagious.
He appealed to Ghanaians to support people with the condition when they have a seizure noting that they are not at risk of becoming epileptic when they come into contact with epileptic patients.
He also called for an end to stigma and discrimination against epileptic patients, pointing out that everyone is at risk of developing the condition.
Mr. Basagnia revealed that the number of cases of epilepsy detected in the Wa Municipality has increased over the years because most facilities now have mental health staff unlike previously when the lack of such expertise hindered the detection of cases among the populace.
He disclosed that the Municipal Health Directorate during the 2017 annual Health Review said it had recorded 60 epilepsy cases.
However the number of cases reported within the Municipality as at January 2019 has increased to 156 cases.
Mr. Basagnia made this known in an exclusive interview on Sunday as the world marked International Epilepsy Day under the theme: “Epilepsy is more than seizure”.
Mr. Basagnia also stated that when people are around an epileptic patient who suddenly has a convulsive seizure, they should not attempt to restrain the person otherwise it could result in bodily harm.
He urged that people who may be close to epilepsy patients during seizures should remove sharp or hard objects that can cause injury to the person when he/she falls on it.
In a related development, some epileptic patients in Bamahu in the Wa Municipality have appealed to all residents in the Municipality to help reduce stigma and discrimination against persons with epilepsy.
They noted that though their families have shown them love and support after discovering they have the brain condition, there is the need for all to accept and support persons who are living with the condition.
Some of them said because of their condition they are now jobless and depend on their families for a living.
International Epilepsy Day is a special event in global health which promotes awareness of epilepsy in more than 120 countries each year.
Every year on the second Monday of February people join together to celebrate and highlight the problems faced by people with epilepsy, their families and carers.
Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain. People who have epilepsy have electrical activity in the brain that is not normal, thereby causing seizures.
There are different types of seizures. In some cases, a seizure may cause jerking, uncontrolled movements, and loss of consciousness.
In other cases, seizures cause only a period of confusion, a staring spell, or muscle spasms. Epilepsy is also called a “seizure disorder.”
By Savannahnewsonline.com/Mavis Okyere
