Over two million Pakistanis affected by epilepsy, fewer still can treat it

Higher prevalence of epilepsy observed in those 30 years of age, or younger.

KARACHI: As many as two million people are suffering from epilepsy in Pakistan, with the highest prevalence observed in people younger than 30 year of age, epileptologist Dr Fauzia Siddiqui said on Tuesday.

Addressing the press conference at Karachi Press Club on Tuesday in connection with World International Purple (Epilepsy) Day, which is being observed on Wednesday, Dr Siddiqui said that epilepsy is treatable, saying the problem is ignorance not the disease itself.

The press conference was organised by the Pakistan Society of Neurology (PSN) and Neurology Awareness & Research Foundation (NARF).

Dr Siddiqui said overall prevalence of epilepsy is estimated to be one per cent in the world population, but nears the two per cent mark in Pakistan.

She said the highest prevalence of the disease is seen in people younger than 30 years of age with the ratio higher in rural areas. She said only 27.5 per cent of people in urban areas and 2.9 per cent in the rural areas even consider epilepsy a disease or go to a doctor for its treatment. The burden of epilepsy is not fully evaluated and understood, she added.

Dr Siddiqui said epilepsy is a debilitating neurological disease that has numerous myths surrounding it and awareness is much needed. She said can consist of simple staring spells to severe jerking and stiffening of the body with sudden loss of consciousness.

She said that there is an urgent need to create awareness among Pakistanis that treatment is available for epilepsy, adding that the ministry of health needs to participate in awareness and treatment campaigns providing medication to control it.

Chairman Pakistan Society of Neurology (PSN) Prof Muhammad Wasay said epilepsy is a common medical problem in Pakistan. He lamented that a majority of people suffering from epilepsy are treated inadequately or inappropriately.

Prof. Wasay said that there was a shortage of adequately trained neurologists, making it even tougher to combat epilepsy. Per his estimates, there is one neurologist available for every 48,200 patients of epilepsy, with access very to those neurologists who were trained to deal with epilepsy.

“Epilepsy carries a horrendous stigma, young women can’t get married, and children are withdrawn from school, resulting in social isolation and depression,” he informed. He said this is a treatable disease with complete control in 70 per cent of the patients.

Dr Abdul Malik said there are more than 100 types of fits that the patient can have, adding that epilepsy is a debilitating disease which scares the affected families.

“Patients need medications that sometimes have to be taken lifelong and this can become prohibitively costly and the government needs to help out with subsidised rates and spreading information about the disease.”