Every year, the 2nd Monday of every February is set aside to commemorate International Epilepsy Day.
This day, initiated by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) is aimed at promoting the rights of persons with Epilepsy and raising awareness of the disease.
Popularly termed Purple Day based on the color of Lavanda, a flower that is internationally recognized as a symbol of Epilepsy, the day, while providing a platform for patients to share experiences also gives an avenue for stakeholders to reevaluate their efforts at improving the lives of affected persons.
The theme for this year’s International Epilepsy Day is “the epilepsy journey.”
This aims at spotlighting the experiences of people with epilepsy as well as their caregivers.
Epilepsy is a neurological disease characterized by recurrent seizures.
These seizures occur as a result of abnormal brain activity.
These seizures are brief episodes of involuntary body movement that may involve some or all parts of the body.
Sometimes, they are accompanied by a loss of consciousness and patients may also lose control of their bowel movements or bladder function.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, patients battle stigma due to an endemic misunderstanding of the condition from the public, despite it being ruled as one of the world’s oldest neurological conditions.
More concerning, the foundation says is the reluctance of patients to come public with their experiences due to discrimination.
The foundation further identifies a lack of funding for increased research on the condition as a major challenge across countries.
Disease burden
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 50 million people suffer from Epilepsy globally.
These statistics, the global health body says make it one of the commonest neurological diseases.
Between four and 10 people have active epilepsy per 1,000 people, the WHO estimates.
Additionally, five million new diagnoses are made every year, with the majority of these cases being recorded in low-income countries such as Nigeria.
This figure, the health body ascribed to the prevalence of accidents which may lead to head injuries, high burden of malaria, birth-related injuries, and overall, a lack of preventive care for people.
In countries such as Nigeria, health experts worry that a lack of treatment options for persons with epilepsy puts them at a higher risk of premature death.
Data from the WHO shows that while 70 percent of those with epilepsy could live a seizure-free life, they face three times more risks of dying from premature deaths than those without epilepsy.
The stigma and discrimination that accompanies epilepsy remain one of the socioeconomic impacts of the disease.
In many instances, a lack of awareness of the disease makes people assume that epilepsy is contagious but the WHO states that the disease is not.
In its report “Epilepsy: A Public Health Perspective, the WHO said “Up to 70% of people living with epilepsy could become seizure-free with appropriate use of antiseizure medicines. Discontinuing antiseizure medicine can be considered after 2 years without seizures and should take into account relevant clinical, social, and personal factors.”
Limitations
Lower-income countries face a greater challenge in the management of epilepsy.
About three-quarters of patients are likely to not receive essential treatment when needed due to the shortage of anti-seizure medications.
The health body further harps on the prevention of the disease as a priority.
This it said could be achieved by reducing the likelihood of head injuries which may occur through fatal accidents.
It also encourages adequate prenatal care to ensure that babies do not suffer birth injuries that may lead to epilepsy.
Furthermore, there is an emphasis on the prevention of infections.
According to the WHO, “Central nervous system infections are common causes of epilepsy in tropical areas, where many low- and middle-income countries are concentrated.
“Elimination of parasites in these environments and education on how to avoid infections can be effective ways to reduce epilepsy worldwide, for example, those cases due to neurocysticercosis.”
For this year’s occasion, stakeholders are calling for the accelerated implementation of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders.
The ILAE and the IBE, in a joint statement issued to commemorate the day, stressed the need for accelerated action.
“This plan, or IGAP, developed by the World Health Organization and unanimously approved by its member states, aims to improve access to treatment, care and quality of life of people with epilepsy, their carers, and families.”
One of the major global targets of IGAP states that, by 2031, countries will have increased service coverage for epilepsy by 50% from the current coverage in 2021.
