Parkinson Disease Needs Attention - Association

By Girmachew Gashaw

World Parkinson Day marked

Parkinson Patients Support Organization - Ethiopia said that both the government and the public have not given serious attention to Parkinson disease. World Parkinson Day was marked in Ethiopia for the 4th time with a theme: "Fight with hope" last week through discussion among members.

Speaking at the lunch ceremony organized around the Association office, Kibra Kebede, Association Manager said that Parkinson disease has not been given due attention both by the government as well as the public. The number of Parkinson patients is not known. If a patient lives with the disease, he could not know if he has Parkinson.

The other major challenge is that due to financial constraints the Association has limited its activities to the capital city only. But there might be Parkinson patients who live in the country side. Besides, pharmaceutical products are also beyond the economic capacity of patients and are hence not accessible, she added.

So far, little is known about the disease as the studies are very limited and people just do not understand it. Many consider it a curse of God.

Commemorating the day helps to raise awareness among members of the Association through exchanging information about the disease's symptoms, get counseling service one another, she added.

Asefa Zegeye is serving as an Association Deputy Board Chairman. He has been under the control of Parkinson disease for the last ten years. He said, he was exposed to Parkinson after he got a car accident.

He could not properly execute his duties as teacher as usual due to the ailment. His hands were, and he could not handle pieces of chalk properly. As a result, he was forced to leave his job due to Parkinson disease.

He said, besides the disease itself, what makes things worse for the patients is the discrimination they suffer from the public. People may consider the disease as hereditary and a scourge transmitted from the Devil. But this is absolutely wrong. Hence, the government should help eradicate such wrong conclusion from among the public and help to finance the costs of medicine to be availed to patients.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that belongs to the group of conditions called motor system disorders. PD cannot yet be cured and sufferers get worse over time as the normal bodily functions, including breathing, balance, movement, and heart function worsen.

Parkinson's disease most often occurs after the age of 50 and is one of the most common nervous system disorders of the elderly. The disease is caused by the slow deterioration of the nerve cells in the brain, which create dopamine. Dopamine is a natural substance found in the brain that helps control muscle movement throughout the body.

Source: AllAfrica