President of the Cerebral Palsy (CP) Awareness Ghana, Mr Boniface Kwaku Aberor has urged the public to desist from dissociating oneself from patients with the non-progressive brain disorder – ‘Cerebral Palsy’.
Cerebral Palsy is actually caused by brain injury or abnormal development of the brain that occurs while a child’s brain is still developing — before birth, during birth, or immediately after birth.
Cerebral Palsy affects body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance.
During a health walk campaign and awareness program in Accra on the World Cerebral Palsy Day, the founder of the association, Mr Aberor highlighted the need to bury the stigma placed upon the neurological illness.
“CP affects the body muscles and makes them softer than usual. Due to this, we have put a stigma on them. Some people kill them whiles others visit churches for cure. They claim it occur when one goes for the baby from a snake God or river. That is very false. The stigma should be erased…” he said.
He further called on the government to develop a centre with specialized physiotherapists for Cerebral Palsy patients where they can run check-ups to make their conditions better.
“We hope to have a center where everyone can come for a check. There will be doctors who will screen the children. We hope the government will help children to embark for treatment free through the NHIS. We hope the government to bring more physiotherapists into the country…” he maintained.