23 million Nigerians suffering arthritis – NSP Chairman
…As Board reads riot act to unlicensed institutions, practitioners
By Matthew Denis
The Chairman of Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy FCT Chapter, Dr. Nnamdi Eze has disclosed that an estimate of 23million Nigerians have been reported to have arthritis, one form of disability or the other.
He made the disclosure at the World Physical Therapy Day organised by the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy FCT Chapter in Abuja during the weekend
The Chairman while speaking on the theme of the programme ‘Arthritis’ said “a lot of people don’t really know what arthritis is all about.
“We find out that people are struggling with life when they have just little things to do to be free.
“We’re doing advocacy and awareness campaign to let people know the importance of living an active and painless life.”
He acknowledged that communicable disease is becoming a challenge in the North Sahara Africa, but on the other side, non-communicable disease has become a much more threatening issue that have been always neglected.
The Chairman said “the good thing about it is that it’s something we can solve just being active participation and stakeholders in the management of our health.”
According to him, “simple movement of our bodies can solve arthritis diseases in our environment therefore awareness should be our priority.
“One thing that we are doing as members of this society is to create awareness; advocate for the inclusion and involvement of rehabilitation and mainstreaming it into the prevention, promotion, duration and parliation into the health system.”
Eze revealed that there are over one billion people in the world that has one disability or the order, but in the estimate 23 million people have been reported to have one form of disability in Nigeria.
He said “Arthritis affects about 75 percent of us in our entire lifestyle as we might not have it as a child but when we’re getting old it will affect us.”
In a bid to curb the activities of quackery among medical Physiotherapists in the Country, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria (MRTBN), Prof. Rufai Yusuf Ahmad has warned unlicensed practitioners and institutions that are offering the course to do the needful before they’re caught up by the law.
He said “the issue of quackery, as a Board we are working on getting volunteers to develop a standard Operating Precedure and train them to support us because the number of staff that each agency will have will not cover the entire country.
“I want to send a message to everyone for individual practitioners that are yet to register, please do that because if you don’t have a license to practice you’re a quack.
“For hospitals and various institutions, private practices that are not accredited should prepare for accreditation because without it the department will just be working without approval from the board which may lead into quackery too.
“For those that are practicing, that are not professionals but are doing the work of professionals, should be careful because once we fish them they will be sanctioned appropriately,” he said.
Prof. Ahmad stressed that the essence of the programme is to enlighten the public about the roles of Physiotherapists in helping to prevent and manage the disease of arthritis.
He said “arthritis generally affects the lifespan of patients cutting across children, young and elderly ones.”
