Lack of information and deep-rooted stigma have led to poor reporting and treatment of epilepsy patients in Samburu County, health officials have said.
This emerged during a two-day training of health workers and Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in Maralal town, where it was revealed that people living with epilepsy have been neglected due to superstitions associated with the condition.
Nicholas Otieno from the Kenya Association for the Welfare of People Living with Epilepsy (KAWE) said there is little awareness about epilepsy in the county, with many families still relying on unorthodox methods to treat it.
“To cure epilepsy traditionally, cowhide is burnt on an open flame, and the ash is fed to the epileptic patient, but the disease does not go away. This is what we want the community to unlearn about epilepsy,” Otieno said.
Otieno explained that epilepsy is a medical condition that can affect people of all ages and emphasized that it is treatable. He said the training also targets traditional healers, with the aim of equipping them with knowledge so they can refer patients to health facilities.
“Our aim is to find local solutions for local problems and to understand what is happening within our communities in order to cascade ways of handling epilepsy. The CHPs are our foot soldiers in the community, and they will help reduce stigma,” he said.
Samburu County Director for Preventive and Promotive Health, Augustine Lemowonapi, encouraged families to seek medical care for those living with epilepsy, noting that drugs are available in all 140 health facilities across the county.
He disclosed that in total, 3,563 cases of epilepsy have been reported in the last three years.
“We now want to reduce the stigma at the household level and encourage patients to come for treatment because epilepsy is treatable and it is not a family curse,” Lemowonapi said.
Stephen Chodoo, a CHP from Samburu North who attended the training, welcomed the initiative, saying there is little information about the disease at village level.
Chodoo noted that most patients in the villages are forced to drink concoctions to induce vomiting after experiencing epileptic fits.
“With the knowledge gained here, we now know how to handle a person with epileptic fits and later refer them to hospital. We will spread the word that this disease is not a curse and it is treatable,” he said.
By Robert Githu
