The global campaign against epilepsy in Africa

One of the leading brain disorders in developing countries is represented by epilepsy. It is estimated that 80% of people suffering from epilepsy around the world, reside in developing world such as Africa. Many perinatal and postnatal causes are brain-stressers in people suffering from malnutrition and low economical conditions. This context is characterised by long delay before modern treatment, reduced number and financial inaccessibility to anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) and limited human and technical resources for epilepsy. Cultural interpretation also contributes to exclude epileptic patients from the educational and productive fields, aggravating the burden they face and favouring a treatment gap estimated to 80%. To fight against this dramatic reality, a ppartnership has been built between the International League against Epilepsy, the International Bureau for Epilepsy and the World Health Organisation, named the 'Global Campaign Against Epilepsy' 'Epilepsy Out of the Shadows' to reduce treatment gap and social and physical burden, educate health personnel, dispel stigma, support prevention. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.