The Director of the Epilepsy Association of Sierra Leone (EASL), Max Bangura, has disclosed that they have trained 3,500 health workers including nurses and community health workers on how to handle epilepsy cases. He made this disclosure at Beccles Hall, Gloucester Street on Wednesday 4th November 2020 where the final batch of trainees on the aforementioned subject were being trained.
Bangura revealed that 70,000 individuals are suffering from epilepsy in the country. The Director told Awoko that epilepsy is a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed causing seizures, “which is contrary to witchcraft or demons that have been in circulation”.
He said due to such myths, they brought in specialised doctors to train healthcare workers on how to diagnose epilepsy (of which there are 20 types) and provide the appropriate medications at the end of the day.
He said when the trainee health workers get back to their districts, they are expected to be able to identify the various types of epilepsy and the medication to prescribe. Mr. Bangura maintained that through their partner, Medical Assistance Sierra Leone in the United Kingdom, they have just received a good consignment of epilepsy drugs, “which we will continue to give to the people”.
He said of the 70,000 reported cases of epilepsy in the country, they have come in contact with 11,000 in the last seven years. The consultant pediatric neurologist in the Ministry of Health, Dr Alhaji Alusine Jalloh, spoke about epilepsy in children and how it should be approached and managed.
He said epilepsy management for children is different from adults’, citing brain size in relation to medication.
He said managing epilepsy is not integral to the country’s health system, noting that it is therefore not a present priority at the Ministry of Health, as there are only few organisations advocating for epilepsy. Dr. Jalloh said though they are resource challenged in managing children suffering from brain problems, they are, however, optimistic to see improvements in the country in the next five years on prioritising neurology and epilepsy in general.
One of the trainees, Abdul Thoronka from Makeni, said he got a lot out of the engagement on the causes of epilepsy, its challenges and how it should be treated. He said among their main challenges, lack of drugs and good road network to meet patients and the communication barrier rank high.
He vowed to utilise the knowledge gained out of the training. MJB/5/11/20
By Mohamed J. Bah