A million Ugandans suffer from Epilepsy

By Henry Sekanjako

A total of 1 million (about 3.3%) Ugandans are suffering from Epilepsy with limited access to epilepsy medication.

According to the executive director Epilepsy support association Uganda, Augustus Mugarura, the diseases has been fueled by poor access to medical care and lack of awareness about epilepsy.

“Many people have neglected the diseases which is common among children, parents don’t care about seeking treatment for their children that have acquired epilepsy they think it can cure on its own,” said

He was yesterday addressing journalists in Kampala recently a head of the world Epilepsy day celebrations.

Mugarura noted that besides, poor medical attention given to epilepsy victims, government has continuously failed to recruit more epilepsy specialists adding that the country has only four specialists of which two are not in active practice.

He added that the number of people in Uganda suffering from epilepsy was continuing to rise due to negligence by government to create awareness about the disease like other diseases such as HIV/Aids.

“Epilepsy is a disability that you cannot see which is a big challenge. It is a biggest stigma much more than Aids but people don’t know that the number of people with this disease is rising each day,” he noted.

Epilepsy which means a tendency to have recurrent seizures occurs when there is abnormal electrical discharge in the brain. It is caused as a result of brain damage brought on by injury, infection such as

Encephalitis or meningitis, hormonal problems and tumours. Mugarura appealed to government to ensure constant delivery of epilepsy vaccines to health centers to enable people in different parts of the country access these drugs.

“80% of people with epilepsy can be able to continue living a normal life if they are kept on medication,” he said.

Meanwhile Epilepsy support association Uganda in conjunction with National association of the deaf blind (NADBU) yesterday launched a campaign dubbed Epilepsy and Deaf blindness SMS campaign aimed at creating awareness on Epilepsy.

The campaign is also to help raise funds amounting to Sh148m to buy 100 hearing aids, 100 red canes (walking sticks) , among  other materials to help both the blind  and epilepsy victims.

One can contribute towards this campaign by sending their contributions by typing the word help and then send to 8558 which will cost them Sh500.