Kenya Association for Welfare of People with Epilepsy Launches Awareness Campaign

The Kenya Association for the Welfare of People with Epilepsy (KAWE) has embarked on a ten month campaign aimed at raising awareness on epilepsy, treatment, and eradication of stigma for people with illness.

The KAWE Chief Executive Officer Patrick Ngechu said in Kiisi that the campaign is intended to reduce the stigma of people with epilepsy and encourage the affected persons to seek medical attention.

Ngechu explained that KAWE currently has three clinics in Nairobi and estimates that it has attended to not less than 17,000 clients in the past one year.

“Epilepsy is a disease, and it is treatable. We urge people to go to the hospital and seek treatment. For those who stigmatize our patients, be aware that this is a disease, and it can be treated,” said Ngechu.

He also stressed that epilepsy can occur at any age, and that its hereditary form accounts for just 5% of all cases.

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The KAWE clinician, Niclas Otieno said that epilepsy is a neurological disorder that involves reoccurring, unprovoked seizures that may stem from things such as stroke, tumors in the brain, and some infections. “Some forms of epilepsy are caused by mutations in specific genes, which can be inherited from parents,” Otieno added.

Further, conflict of interest was identified as another major set of patients’ barriers in epilepsy management with Dr. Matiko Gibeye, the Director of Medical Services at KTRH calling for intensified efforts to fight stigma in epilepsy.

“A person who has epilepsy is not possessed by evil spirits; this is a disease like any other. Don’t stigmatize those with this condition,” Dr. Gibeye explained.

As Dr. Gibeye noted, KTRH treats at least 20 patients with epilepsy within a week.

It also seeks to create awareness, prevention, and timely administration of medication for individuals with epilepsy as well as the encouragement of appropriate care for such people.