Morenikeji Komolafe is a Professor of Neurology at Obafemi Awolowo University, managing patients with sleep disorders. She has been practicing for 25 years. Healthier Sleep magazine staff had an opportunity to ask Dr. Komolafe a few questions about her advocacy in Africa.
What led you to work in sleep medicine?
I wanted to be able to manage my patients better. A lot of my patients had complaints of poor sleep, some with insomnia, neurological symptoms like Parkinson’s disease, and nocturnal seizures. One patient who had nocturnal seizures had found ways to deprive himself of sleep so he would not have them. In the beginning I had no idea how to manage them, so I pursued sleep medicine to treat my patients.
What challenges do you face in Nigeria that may be addressed by advocacy?
Challenges that we face in Africa are lack of awareness, poor funding, and an insufficient number of sleep medicine professionals.
We need to increase awareness of the importance of healthy sleep and sleep disorders. So I have spearheaded the effort by using various media outlets such as television, radio, and social media. My team members and I have been involved in educational sessions among schoolchildren and undergraduates. I have also organized various updated courses for health workers. For the past few years, I have coordinated the activities of the sleep team at my institution, the Nigerian Sleep Society, and the African Sleep Network.
Sleep medicine also needs funding to increase the number of sleep labs in African countries. There are fewer than 50 sleep centers in only four countries on the entire African continent.
The current number of sleep professionals cannot meet the demand for services. Training and certification need to be more accessible locally. Currently no African country offers a certified sleep training program.
What are some outcomes you have seen from your participation in World Sleep Day?
I have seen greater awareness of the importance of sleep in schoolchildren and more detection of sleep disorders like narcolepsy among health workers and children.
When we give sleep awareness presentations at schools, the children ask a lot of questions about sleep and sleep disorders. Many children are unable to have the required hours of sleep because of long hours spent in school. As a result of our awareness efforts, some schools have implemented measures to improve sleep among the students, allowing naps and encouraging parents to pick up their children on time.
Our awareness events are making a difference in the lives of children. For example, during one of our events, it was recognized that a child had undiagnosed narcolepsy. It was thought that the child was lazy, and she had been made to run around the school sports grounds in an effort to keep her awake. She and others were referred to a pediatrician for appropriate medical treatment.
What is one important thing you want people to know about sleep?
Sleep is VITAL for brain health and physical health.
What are you most excited about?
I am most excited about giving sleep medicine the attention it deserves. It touches on so many aspects of life, and I would like to see it recognized in all sectors of our national government including health, education and transportation.
The Nigerian Sleep Society will be inaugurated on April 30. It will be nationally recognized, and the first time that health professionals, patient advocacy groups, and industry partners will gather and meet. The meeting will be hosted in the Obafemi Awolowo University in the ancient and historic town of Ile-Ife.
Moving forward, I would like to see a structured training and certification program for sleep medicine in Africa and the inauguration of the African Sleep Network. Key stakeholders have already been meeting and working hard to ensure the inauguration.