23 February 2004	Monday	02 Muharram 1425

KARACHI, Feb 22: The Epilepsy Association of Pakistan and the Comprehensive Epilepsy Control Programme of Pakistan have chalked out programmes to observe the Epilepsy Day on Feb 29 at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

The event will be preceded by the Third Annual Epilepsy Conference to be held on Feb 28. The conference will be attended by neurologists from across the country besides Dr Fouzia Qureishi, an internationally recognized expert associated with John Hopkins University, USA to discuss different aspects of epilepsy management.

For the very day, public awareness programmes have been arranged with major emphasis to shun the stigma attached to epilepsy and dispel the rampant impression of this being a non- treatable condition.

The Epilepsy Association of Pakistan president, Prof Hasan Aziz, reminded that one per cent of the total population of Pakistan was estimated to be epileptic while a vast majority of people had yet to realize that they were suffering from the condition. Besides, he added, a large number of epileptic patients did not know that epilepsy was curable.

To address the situation, people registered with the Epilepsy Control Programme, as well as general public would be provided an opportunity to listen to the medical experts and seek proper explanation for their respective queries regarding epilepsy.

A drawing contest for schoolchildren, awareness workshop for school teachers and free epilepsy clinic for patients to be conducted by neuro-physicians from all over the country will be other major events scheduled for the day at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

With a view to keep the momentum and ensure maximum public awareness about the condition, the first epilepsy walk has also been arranged for March 7 at the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam.

It may be pertinent to mention here that the Epilepsy Association of Pakistan (a chapter of International League Against Epilepsy) is an association of doctors treating epilepsy.

Promotion of health care of people with epilepsy, training of doctors in epilepsy management and epilepsy research are among the major objectives of this association. -APP