An awareness campaign to dispel misconceptions about epilepsy was launched on International Epilepsy Day. In a joint statement on Feb 13, the organizations behind the campaign—the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)—called for “greater understanding and intersectoral action to tackle the stigma and discrimination faced by people with epilepsy worldwide”. This campaign is timely because strengthening the public health response to epilepsy is one of the five strategic objectives of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders 2022–2031 (IGAP), and ending stigma and discriminatory legislation are key components of this strategic objective.

During the early phases of development of the IGAP, WHO singled out epilepsy as a priority disorder, because of its high disability burden and noted treatment gap. The burden of epilepsy is particularly high in countries of low and middle-income (LMICs). For example, about a third of the global burden of epilepsy is in southeast Asian countries such as India, Indonesia, and Thailand. Because of a lack of trained health professionals in LMICs, it is difficult for people with epilepsy to get a diagnosis, and especially so in communities where misconceptions remain. In China, epilepsy is regarded as a psychiatric disease rather than a neurological disorder, which can preclude access to antiseizure medication. In some parts of Africa, epilepsy is thought to be a contagious disease, which can provoke unnecessary fears and an unwillingness to help. These common misconceptions contribute to the stigma surrounding epilepsy.

 “The actions being taken by national governments and non-governmental organizations to reduce stigma and discrimination must be properly planned and regularly evaluated. Reinforcement by awareness campaigns is important to eliminate misconceptions. Ultimately, by 2031, if the IGAP is implemented, no person with epilepsy will experience stigma or discrimination because of their medical disorder.”

Read more here.

References

  1. Neurology, N. L. (2023b). Time to end the stigma of epilepsy. Lancet Neurology, 22(4), 283. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(23)00084-4

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