Fighting Cerebral Palsy In Africa
Cerebral Palsy is the most typical cause of physical disability in children around the world. Every year, ten children out of every 1,000 births are affected by cerebral palsy in Africa. Low birth weight and prematurity are the main risk factors in developed countries, where cerebral palsy is more common. However, due to limited diagnostic resources and experienced medical professionals, birth asphyxia, kernicterus, and neonatal infections are all common risk factors for cerebral palsy in Africa.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of neurological conditions that affect the body’s movement and muscle coordination permanently after they first manifest in infancy or early childhood. Damage to or abnormalities in the developing brain that impairs the brain’s capacity to control movement, maintain posture, and maintain balance is what lead to cerebral palsy.
Although there is no known treatment for cerebral palsy, many people can benefit from supportive therapies, medications, and surgery to enhance their motor skills and social interaction.
Causes of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a rare disorder that is acquired, meaning it manifests after birth. Early-life brain damage, brain infections, blood flow issues, or head injuries are a few causes of acquired cerebral palsy.
Is It Possible To Prevent Cerebral Palsy?
Some risk factors for congenital cerebral palsy can be managed or avoided, but genetically based cerebral palsy cannot be prevented. Common safety measures, such as using car seats for infants and toddlers, can prevent cerebral palsy, which is frequently caused by head injuries.
Cerebral Palsy in Africa
According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 300 children in Africa have cerebral palsy due to birth trauma, cerebral palsy, and meningitis. This is made worse by the absence of interventions like medications, surgeries, or even regular therapy input. Medical malpractice claims against the government also suggest that rates are still high, despite not being a direct indicator of the number of actual cerebral palsy cases.
In an African village, a child was born before dawn. His birth took a long time and was difficult; he was oxygen-deprived for a while. His worn-out mother is unaware that cerebral palsy will cause her son to have both physical and mental disabilities. She might have driven the 40 miles to the closest hospital if her baby’s condition had seemed immediately life-threatening.
She will soon become aware of his symptoms and hear rumors that she must have been unfaithful while she was expecting because there is no other way she could have given birth to a son with such challenges. The far-off medical facility offers physiotherapy, but none of the staff members are specially trained to deal with CP, and there is little equipment that could be helpful. It’s a terrible situation, but sadly it happens often.
Recent Developments on Cerebral Palsy
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the country’s top source of funding for studies on conditions affecting the nervous system and the brain. Research on cerebral palsy is also carried out and supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), another NIH organization.
The discovery of new causes and risk factors for cerebral palsy, the development of drugs to control stiff and spastic muscles and more precise methods to deliver them, improved surgical techniques to correct abnormalities in muscle and bone, and a better comprehension of how and why brain damage during fetal development causes cerebral palsy are all a result of research supported by NINDS.
Conclusion
17 million people have cerebral palsy in the world. It is the most typical reason why children develop motor disorders. People with cerebral palsy are still the target of discrimination on a global scale. Cerebral palsy is brought on by a brain disorder that appears before, during, or soon after birth, leading to issues with movement and coordination.
However, depending on the severity, further complications can be avoided if cerebral palsy is identified early, the parents are informed, and the child receives prompt rehabilitation care. The right care can drastically improve a child’s chances of being able to walk, attend school, work, and lead a fulfilling life. It can also drastically improve the lives of the child and their family.