NGO calls for awareness on prevention, treatment, management of thyroid disease

Image of Thyroid Disease

An NGO, Thyroidism Awareness and Support Initiative (TASI), has called on stakeholders to give priority attention to the prevention, treatment and management of thyroid disease in Nigeria.

Its Founder, a thyroid disease survivor, Mrs Iruoma Ofortube, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), an online research organisation, thyroid disease is a group of disorders that affects the thyroid gland.

“The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck that makes thyroid hormones.

“Thyroid hormones control how your body uses energy; so they affect the way nearly every organ in your body works, even the way your heart beats,’’ NIDDK stated.

Ofortube said that the disease was fast becoming a scourge in the country with little or no attention given to it in terms of raising awareness among the populace.

She said: “Empirical research proves that many people are living today with undiagnosed thyroid disease which they are ignorant of; reason being that thyroid disease symptoms mimic other popular health challenges.

“For those already diagnosed with thyroid disease, their major challenge is ignorance, inaccessibility of the appropriate medical experts and efficient medical facility.

“Others include high cost of Medicare, fear, pain, mental and emotional torture, societal stigma, among others.

“Thyroid disease is rated the second commonest endocrine disease and fast becoming a scourge in Nigeria.

“Yet, no significant attention has been given to it as to raising the awareness on the prevention, treatment and management by governments across boards and other relevant stakeholders, like other popular health challenges,’’ she said.

Ofortube said that the disease, to some extent, forms the underlying cause of some health conditions including reproductive, mental, and maternal and child health, obesity and diabetes.

These, she said, were given priority; hence, the increasing cases of thyroid diseases.

“The challenges of the disease in the country go beyond people that are faced with thyroid conditions, but the general public at large.

“Regardless of status, age, level of exposure and level of education, the major challenge is lack of awareness,’’ Ofortube said.

The founder of the NGO said that TASI was committed to creating awareness of the disease at the community level where people living with the disease were stigmatised and segregated.

She also said that her organisation was ready to partner with the government to drive the awareness and provide a support system for people affected with thyroid disorders.

“We also advocate for policy action to include thyroid disease among the primary health challenges like HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, and cancer.

“We also raise funds for treatment support and we created a local support group where we share experiences and share ideas adding to patient education.

“We are, however, still pushing to partner with the government to drive the awareness and provide a support system for people affected with thyroid disorders,’’ Ofortube said.

Also, a Consultant Endocrinologist, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Akoka, Dr Olufemi Fasanmade, said that globally, about 300 million people suffered from the condition.

Fasanmade told this media that at least one million people were estimated to suffer from the condition in Nigeria.

According to him, goitre is the commonest thyroid condition and prevalent in adult females; commonest in the South-East than the rest of the geo-zones.

“Goitre is due to iodine deficiency and affects between 200-250 million people globally. The condition is commonest where iodine intake is low.

“The Federal Government in 2001 had a policy of salt iodisation and mentioned its success in lowering goitre prevalence in the country.

“People should consume fish, seafood and use iodised salt as part of their diets,’’ Fasanmade said.