Rotary Club of Bangalore Midtown signed an MoU with National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) to partner on a unique brain health initiative.
The MoU was signed in the presence of the president of Rotary International Shekhar Mehta, who was in Bengaluru, and District Governor Fazal Mahmood.
The aim of the proposed novel Brain Health Initiative is to develop a model for prevention and early recognition of neurological disorders, by actively engaging with the community and involve all levels of society.
There are 20 million to 30 million people with brain disorders in India and the burden of neurological disease is rapidly increasing.
Stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and Parkinson’s disease are the major neurological diseases that contribute to societal burden.
However, there is a wide treatment gap and 30-80% remain either undiagnosed and or untreated primarily due to low awareness and lack of accessibility to care.
Dr Pratima Murthy, director of Nimhans, said, “Importantly, a majority of brain disorders are preventable and 40% of dementias can be prevented by modifying risk factors. Prevention, early diagnosis along with specialized treatment and rehabilitation can significantly reduce the burden of neurological disorders in the community.”
“The urgent need for a public health initiative is to address the gaps associated with awareness, early identification, treatment and prevention of brain diseases. Disease prevention is a core area of focus for Rotary worldwide and we at Rotary Midtown can plug the gap between experts at Nimhans and the community with well-designed social awareness programmes,” said T Srikanth Bhagavat, president of Rotary Bangalore Midtown after signing the MoU.
District Governor Fazal Mahmood presented the achievements of the District 3190 with its unique projects such as ‘Hosa Belaku,’ under which Rotary Clubs adopt an underprivileged community in their vicinity and contribute to its integrated development.
Under the ‘zero hunger’ project, 57 tonnes of food grains and pulses have been distributed to the hungry.
The Brain Health Initiative of NIMHANS (BHI-NIMHANS) aims to implement a comprehensive community-based model of care in urban (South Bangalore) and rural (Chikkaballapur) areas to prevent neurological disorders and promote brain health.