A UK business is helping address the association between epilepsy and witchcraft in parts of Africa.
Morningside Pharmaceuticals, in Loughborough, Leicestershire, has donated 1,000 packs of epilepsy medicine to try and help people with the condition and help overcome the stigma still attached to it.
Due to poor healthcare and education in parts of countries such as Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Ghana, many communities still associate epilepsy with witches and wizards, resorting to traditional herbal treatments and even public ceremonies to ward off perceived evil spirits and to heal the patient.
Morningside Pharmaceuticals – which has a background supplying medicines to the NHS in the UK and charities and NGOs ion the developing world – donated the treatment to Syston Aid charity Inter Care, which has since redistributed them to Africa.
Morningside founder and chairman Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL, said: “We have had the privilege of working with African communities for the past 30 years and have seen first-hand the excellent medical talent, skills and expertise taking place throughout the continent.
“Access to quality medicines and healthcare remains a problem, which has led many rural communities to seek traditional remedies.
“I hope our donation helps support Inter Care and the work of other Aid organisations in addressing the lack of knowledge around conditions such as epilepsy, where a wide range of treatment is available.”
As part of Inter Care’s community epilepsy work, they have helped patients including a five-year-old girl called Ella, from the city of Bo in Sierra Leone, who had been suffering seizures from birth.
Her community sought out traditional remedies, which did nothing to prevent her often six seizures per day.
The family eventually sort hospital treatment where she responded well to the epilepsy medicine, and her parents were provided with comprehensive information and support to help manage her condition.
Albert Sesay, Bo Children’s’ Hospital finance office, said: “Like in many epilepsy cases in the communities we support; when a patient has an epileptic seizure the elders of the communities, family members and others always claim they are attacked by witches and wizards, and traditional treatments are administered to them.
“In most cases these patients are given garlics, smoked with traditional herbal medicines leaves and even take them to societal ceremonies. Before receiving medical treatment. Ella and other children and adults in her position go through so much pain and stress.”
During a recent visit to see Ella following her treatment, her parents were asked for their feedback on the support they have received from Bo Children’s Hospital and the Inter Care UK team.
Ella’s mother Nina said: “Words cannot express how grateful I am, any time I look at my daughter my heart gladdens.
“I am so thankful for your relentless efforts. I don’t know if my daughter would have been alive if it were not for your support.”
