Africa-Press – Botswana. Batswana have been urged to stop stigmatising people with epilepsy, but rather show love by encouraging patients to take medication.
Speaking during Purple Day commemoration in Gaborone on Saturday, the Ministry of Health representative, Dr Morris Sinvula, said there was need to continue raising awareness and supporting people with epilepsy.
The Purple Day is commemorated world-wide on March 26 world-wide.
However, Young Epilepsy Botswana (YEB) commemorated the day before the official remembrance in order to raise awareness on the prevalence of epilepsy in the country and the impact of using medication.
Dr Sinvula said there was need to raise awareness about epilepsy and to encourage people to refrain from discriminating people suffering from such.
He said people with epilepsy could live normal lives when not discriminated and he urged epilepsy ambassadors who defied the odds by building successful careers to give testimony.
Dr Sinvula also said health education and community engagement were key.
“It is a collective responsibility and we are asking everyone, all the constituencies, the media, traditional leaders, faith leaders and everyone that they have a role to play,” he said. In her remarks, the founder of Serenity Rehabilitation Centre, Ms Morwadi Mosenki, said it was unfortunate that some people even ignored the need to help people with epilepsy access treatment that was readily available in hospitals across the country.
She said the fact that there was on organisation such as Young Epilepsy Botswana to support people living with and affected by epilepsy was testimony that stigma and discrimination were still prevalent.
Just like other therapy support groups, Young Epilepsy Botswana helps sufferers to improve their coping skills and motivates them to stay motivated as well as to manage chronic conditions and to stick to the treatment plan.
Katlego Matheakgomo, 13, who is living with epilepsy gave a motivational speech, saying ‘it is what you went through that made you into the person of your dreams’. “As an epileptic pupil you would expect me to be defeated, demoralised and depressed because of what I am going through, but it is not the case with me,” she said, adding that her diagnosis challenged her and that instead of slowing her down, it empowered her.
“There is a whole lot more to life and to me than epilepsy,” said Matheakgomo.
She said she never allowed the condition to determine her academic future and that she had had seizures at school, lost control of her mind and body, but was determined that she would never fail.
She also said her mission was to teach people more about epilepsy in order to minimise the intolerance and hatred that patients faced and to empower patients.
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