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Epilepsy Awareness Week commemorated
National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH)
Extracted from Disability Update 09, October
October 10, 2006

The Epilepsy Support Foundation recently celebrated Epilepsy Awareness Week with a stepped-up, nationwide public sensitisation campaign aimed at combating the twin evils of fear and ignorance, which not only prevent the society from assisting people with epilepsy, but also prevent these individuals from seeking help to ease their condition.

The campaign, which ran from 25 to 30 September, involved the use of radio and television awareness programmes, newspaper interviews, awareness shows, awareness marches, street sweeping, and an epilepsy management workshop, which was conducted at the town house in Harare.

This year’s annual event revolved around eight key points which are crucial to the successful suppression of this condition, but which the generality of the public were not aware of. Some of the key points are that epilepsy is treatable, and can be stopped by medication; people with epilepsy are free to visit the numerous health centres in the country, where treatment can be made available to them; epilepsy is not a contagious or infectious disease; medication should only be stopped or changed on the advice of the doctor, other ways of preventing epilepsy included paying due attention to maternal health, avoiding head injury and infections; exclusion and discrimination against people with epilepsy are prohibited by law; the risk of seizure is significantly reduced by such factors as acceptance, compliance, understanding and inclusion; and that people with epilepsy, like anyone else, are productive citizens whose potential needs to be tapped and developed.

The highlight of the programme was a management workshop which brought together all the key players in the epilepsy arena in an exercise that was designed to underline the importance of effective networking in coming up with sustainable solutions to the problems posed by epilepsy, and the attendant effects of stigma and discrimination. Speakers included representatives from the Epilepsy Support Foundation, the medical fraternity, Department of Nursing, Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture, Schools Psychological Services, ZimRights, the National Association of Societies for the Care Of the Handicapped (NASCOH) and the media. Testimonials from people living with epilepsy and Parents of children living with Epilepsy members spiced up the event.

Epilepsy Support Foundation’s mission is to capacitate people with epilepsy to overcome the many problems that they may encounter by assisting them to secure diagnosis and medical treatment, counseling and by educating employers, teachers, pupils/students, and communities about epilepsy.

Visit the NASCOH fact sheet

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