Epilepsy group seeks ...
He explained that since 2014, the foundation has been able to work closely with over a dozen persons who were previously listed as unmanageable and has been able to assist them in managing their attacks. “Beyond the patients, we have worked with nurses and doctors so the scope of our reach has been significant in treating the illness and raising awareness about it,” he noted.
With respect to the stigma that currently surrounds the illness, Singh explained that the foundation will be rolling out a plan to raise awareness in schools and workplaces with the aim of correcting the way people interpret the disease and its symptoms. “We visited a school last year and we will visit more this year and work places. It’s one of our major objectives, to build public awareness on the many issues surrounding epilepsy,” he explained.
When it comes to tackling the stigma, Singh related that the illness needs to be seen as a disability, as it is in many countries.
“It’s not highly prevalent [epilepsy] but the trouble about it is that if people experience an illness due just to simple to a fact of life, a head injury or birth problems, then they can live their entire life with their life prospects diminished because they’ve got this thing, which by all means is manageable, but they don’t know and we are compromising people’s human rights and dignity.
And you know it is actually regarded as a disability in other parts of the world and that is something we want to promote,” he explained.
He added that the foundation has dealt with cases where children were removed from schools because of seizures, which he indicated was “horrendous” since they are being denied an education and a livelihood because of something that is “manageable and treatable.”
“It’s not the prevalence itself but the horrendous impact it can have on an individual’s life,” he pointed out, while stating that the increase in awareness and advocacy across the country will help to shape how people perceive the illness, including persons who suffer from it.