Parkinson's Africa and the Adewunmi Desalu Parkinson's Foundation (ADPF) have called on governments, communities and the public to do more to support people living with Parkinson's disease in Nigeria. The appeal came during the fourth annual Walking Football for Parkinson's Disease Tournament, held in Lagos on Saturday, October 17, and attended by Legit.ng. Organisers said the event was designed to raise awareness of the condition and promote the active inclusion of those living with it in everyday community life.
Stigma Eases as Participant Numbers Grow
Parkinson's Africa Founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees, Mrs. Omotola Thomas, was represented at the event by Charity Manager Dr Ruth Ebe Emodi, who noted that ADPF had been a longstanding partner in Nigeria and that the tournament had created a visible shift in how participants felt about their condition. She said the number of people willing to identify openly as living with Parkinson's had risen from fewer than 30 in the tournament's first year to more than 100 at this year's edition, a sign that the stigma around the disease was beginning to ease.
Thomas said in an interview with Legit.ng: "They understand that living with Parkinson's disease is not a death sentence. It's not a reason to hide away from society." ADPF founding trustee Mrs. Morin Desalu spoke about her personal motivation, explaining that her late husband, Adewunmi Desalu, lived with the condition for nearly 11 years before his death in 2019, and that the family did not identify the cause of his symptoms for the first six years. That experience, she said, drove her commitment to ensuring other families received help earlier.
Treatment Costs Strain Nigerian Families
Mrs. Desalu described the financial strain the disease placed on households, with monthly medication costs ranging from N50,000 to N70,000. She said: "Families are giving up food or some people are not even paying school fees just so that they can buy this medication." Participant Wale Alarape, who said he was diagnosed around the COVID-19 period, told attendees he takes medication every six hours and urged the government to subsidise the cost of treatment.
Another participant, Anthony Chukwuka, stated that regular exercise had helped him manage challenges with movement, speech and the use of his limbs. He added that public ignorance about Parkinson's remained a key driver of the stigma that patients faced. Chairman of ADPF's Advisory Council, Dr. Adeyemi Desalu, said awareness was the first step towards reducing fear and discrimination. "The first thing you do where there's a new disease is to demystify the disease. That is the first step to removing stigma," he said, urging anyone experiencing symptoms to seek professional medical advice rather than conceal their condition.
Foundation Services and Ongoing Efforts
Mrs. Desalu said ADPF provides access to neurologists, physiotherapy, patient and caregiver support groups, a library, a gym, and activities such as boxing, dance and walking football. The foundation also supplies medication at no cost to patients who cannot afford it. Communications and Community Engagement Officer of Parkinson's Africa, Success Nwanedo, vowed that both organisations would continue building partnerships and raising awareness to ensure that people living with Parkinson's were understood, supported and included in their communities.
