Every year, Pakistan celebrates World Epilepsy Day on the second Monday of February. This year, the day around this common mental illness will focus on the theme of ending the stigma that people living with epilepsy – a crippling neurological disorder – face as many superstitions surround the condition. are surrounded.
At a press conference organized by the Neurology Awareness and Research Foundation (NARF) and Epilepsy Foundation Pakistan, neurologists spoke about creating awareness about the disease and informing the society, as the disease is becoming more prevalent in Pakistan. There are 2 million patients who suffer from discriminatory social behavior.
Based on a joint survey by the two organisations, the presser participants – which included EFP Chairperson Dr Fauzia Siddiqui along with NARF Prof Dr Mohammad Wase and Prof Dr Abdul Malik – said epilepsy patients face a lot of stigma. . For example, women who suffer from this mental illness have difficulty making social connections, children drop out of school due to depression and social isolation.
Although 70% of patients who receive appropriate treatment live a seizure-free life—according to surveys—patient social exclusion is a problem that persists.
The number of epilepsy patients in the world is 1% while in Pakistan it is up to 2%. People under the age of 30 are most affected by this disease. In rural areas, epilepsy is more prevalent with 27.5% of cases compared to urban areas where the proportion of people with epilepsy is 2.9%.
Epilepsy, like other diseases like diabetes and asthma, requires constant medication and proper treatment.
Our society has strong superstitions regarding illness and affects the patients. During the presser, it was shared that it was difficult for women with epilepsy to marry someone who either ended their engagement or later divorced.
Doctors said that the burden on the society increases in both the cases of marriage or separation of epilepsy patients. The stigma of epilepsy made it difficult for patients to find jobs and enroll in educational institutions.
Another important issue is the availability of affordable medicines. Over the years, either shortage or non-availability of affordable medicines in the market has burdened the patients to buy expensive medicines.
Expensive drugs delay treatment and put additional financial pressure on the patient’s family. These drugs are essentially life-saving and if not taken on time, the patient’s brain cells may start to deteriorate after each seizure. Moreover, such brain cells cannot regenerate themselves after being damaged.
The participants of the press conference urged the government to subsidize medicines and ensure patients’ access to affordable but quality medicines.
Prevalence of brain infection in Pakistan Tuberculosis is one of the major causes of epilepsy like meningitis while head injury, brain infection, blood pressure, sugar, high salt consumption and alcohol consumption can also trigger this disease.
The disease can start at any age, even after 50 years. It can also be caused by illness or lack of oxygen in early childhood. For the past 50 years, high blood pressure, diabetes, and brain tumors have been the three leading causes of epilepsy.
There are many myths and legends about the treatment of epilepsy. In this condition, the body feels severe shocks and stiffness due to the sudden loss of consciousness of the patient.