Abuja – Stroke Action Nigeria (SAN), an NGO, has urged the Federal Government to adopt a disability discrimination law to ensure that the rights of persons living with disability were adequately protected.
The Chief Executive Officer of SAN, Mrs Rita Melifeonwu, made this call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
Melifeonwu said there were a lot of contributions that persons with disability could make to national development but had not been possible due to the absence of a law that could protect their rights.
She said that Nigeria needed a disability discrimination law in order to ensure that persons with disability were not relieved of their responsibilities to the society.
According to her, stroke survivors could be left with physical disabilities but they still have their mental faculty and speech intact.
She added that the adoption of the law would protect the rights of such persons against discrimination at work places and other public centres.
According to her, stroke is a condition that affects the brain, leading to a rapid loss of brain function, due to the disruption of blood flow to the brain and it requires medical emergency.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
However, Melifeonwu advised Nigerians to check their blood pressure at least once every year to avoid the emergencies occasioned by stroke or related conditions.
“All Nigerians should make it a habit to check their blood pressure on their birthdays or marriage anniversaries to maintain a regular period of check-up.
“The Blood Pressure (BP) must be below 140 over 90 and if it is above this range, such a person is hypertensive and therefore requires regular health care,’’ said the officer.
She advised Nigerians to prevent high blood pressure by avoiding meals with high cholesterol and keeping their weight under control, among other habits.
“Blood sugar, cholesterol and body mass index should be checked regularly because they are the major risk factors for stroke and therefore must be kept under control.
“Stroke is a common complication of hypertension, diabetes and sickle cell diseases but could be prevented,’’ she said.
She also urged Nigerians to join the campaign for stroke awareness in Nigeria by becoming ambassadors of stroke awareness at the grassroots.
According to her, lack of physical exercise, harmful or excessive alcohol intake and tobacco use are other risk factors associated with stroke. (NAN)