KARACHI, Feb 25: Some 1.4 million Pakistanis, mostly teenagers and children, suffer from epilepsy. Even though misconceptions about the disease abound, it is fully treatable.

These views were expressed at a meeting on Wednesday at the neurology department of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Several well-known doctors attended the meeting at which programmes were finalized which will be held during the Epilepsy Week being observed from Feb 28 to March 7.

The week will be kicked off with the third annual conference of the Epilepsy Association of Pakistan, which will be held at a hotel on Saturday. At the scientific session of the conference presentations will be made by neurologists, neurosurgeons and psychiatrists from all over the country.

Feb 29 will be observed as the Epilepsy Day, it was decided. On this day the patients will be offered free medical advice. Information booklets will be provided to the teachers.

A workshop will also be arranged for the parents and teachers of the epileptic children. The venue will be the JPMC's neurology department. On March 7, the country's "First Epilepsy Walk" will be organized near the Quaid-i-Azam's mausoleum.

Stalls will also be set up for the benefit of the people taking part in the event. The events are being held by the Neurology Fund, an NGO, and the JPMC.