Dr Oluwasola Oke, a Consultant Paediatric-Neurologist has called for the inclusion of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, into the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA.
Mr Oke of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, told the News Agency of Nigeria in an interview on Tuesday in Ilorin that the cost of managing the condition is astronomical.
According to him, a sachet of 10 tablets costs N50,000 which is unaffordable for many patients.
He added that apart from the high cost of management, the drug is also scarce and can only be found in Lagos or outside the country.
Mr Oke explained that the government can subsidise the drugs for patients through the NHIA.
He described ADHD as one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by inattention among children.
“This inattention includes having a short attention span, difficulty keeping on task or staying organised, hyperactivity, restlessness or talking excessively.
According to him, Nigeria carries the burden of ADHD in children at about 4.6 to 8.7 per cent and Africa is at 5.4 to 8.7 per cent, while globally it is at 5 to 10 per cent.
The expert who also teaches at the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, OAU, pointed out that many people misunderstood the disorder and assumed the affected children were mentally unstable, stubborn or difficult.
“ADHD behaviour frequently occurs across multiple situations such as school, home and at work,” he said.
The neurologist, however, warned people to desist from labelling children with ADHD as stubborn, spoilt, difficult or abnormal.
According to the expert, some people erroneously believed the children lacked home training or were spiritually attacked, adding that the condition is not a curse or a spiritual punishment.
Mr Oke warned that “beating such a child or taking them for endless deliverance will not cast it out; instead of blaming spirits, the affected child needs to see a specialist”.
Similarly, he added that children with ADHD needed the right learning method, supportive environment and patience, saying that ”some of them can be intelligent and excel in music, art or mathematics”.
Mr Oke also warned against stigmatising the children and enjoined people to bring their wards to specialists who can manage the condition through behavioural therapy and the use of medicines.
He, therefore, appealed to people to show love and understanding to the children, who he said, can be managed to be productive in life.
Mr Oke appealed to the government and caregivers to address challenges in procuring drugs and management of children with such disorders.
NAN
