Two Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Adewunmi Desalu Parkinson’s Foundation (ADPF) and Parkinson’s Africa (PA), have urged government and society to intensify awareness about the disease in Nigeria.

During a fundraising and awareness walk, with the theme, ‘#Move4Parkinsons’, both organisations said the events were also to honour Colonel Guy Deacon, a former British army officer, who was diagnosed with the ailment 11 years ago and currently driving through Africa to raise senstitise Nigerians to the malady.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. Symptoms begin gradually, sometimes with barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. Tremors are common, but the disorder also usually causes stiffness or slowing of movement.

Research has it that PD happens when the cells that produce the brain chemical, dopamine, stop working properly and die prematurely.

Though researchers are not certain about what causes the situation to exist, but they suspect genetic and environmental factors like mutations and exposure to toxic chemicals, as well aging.

Addressing reporters after the walk, Chairman, Board of trustees, ADPF, Mrs. Morin Dasalu, said both organisations share vision of providing care and support for patients, partners and families to help achieve highest quality of life through compassion.

She challenged victims against ignorance.

Dasalu said: “You must fight with knowledge and not just doing guy man as they say. You should seek help, go see a neurologist, find out what medication you can take, because the sooner you catch it and the sooner you treat, the slower the progression of the disease. As we all know that most diseases come in stages, so if you can catch it at the beginning, then you can shut it down.

“While you fight the illness, hold someone else’s hand, hold somebody up, if you see somebody struggling with the same thing, then you reach out to them and help them.”

She educated that though Parkinson’s disease isn’t contagious, but warned that most people have what is called “Idiopathic” Parkinson’s, whose cause remains unknown.

“It is possible (although very uncommon) for people to pass Parkinson’s on to their children, however, specific genetic tests to predict this are not available at this time,” she said.

Dasalu pointed out that increasing age was biggest risk factor for developing Parkinson’s, adding that most patients were around 60 years or older, noting, however, that the disease is no respecter of age and person.