KARACHI, March 1: At least 75 per cent people suffering from epilepsy do not know that they have this neurological disorder. In rural areas, only two per cent of epilepsy patients seek treatment. In urban areas, 20 per cent of epilepsy patients seek treatment.

This was revealed by Prof Emeritus Hasan Aziz, president of the Epilepsy Association of Pakistan, while inaugurating the second annual epilepsy conference on Saturday morning. He said that despite great efforts to create awareness about epilepsy “we have failed to, one might say, come out of shadows.”

“But people are increasingly becoming aware of the fact that there should be no stigma attached to epilepsy. In a message to this epilepsy conference, Maulana Abdul Sattar Edhi has disclosed that he has been suffering from this neurological disorder for the past 28 years. The noted social worker has added that he has been taking medicine regularly,” Dr Aziz said.

He said that since the last epilepsy conference Pakistan had been accepted as a chapter of the International League Against Epilepsy. “An education programme about epilepsy has been in place since 1987. So far 60 seminars have been held. In Karachi 20 satellite epilepsy centres have been set up; in the interior of Sindh, six; in Punjab, three; and in Balochistan two. One satellite epilepsy centre is planned for the Frontier province.”

Dr Aziz said that the epilepsy day would be observed at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre under the banner of “Global Campaign Against Epilepsy” on Sunday. He added that it would be a joint venture of the International League Against Epilepsy, the International Bureau of Epilepsy and the World Health Organization.

He said that after the ground-breaking ceremony of the National Epilepsy Centre an awareness video film would also be screened. “Apart from holding awareness workshops for teachers, the International League Against Epilepsy will also hold a drawing contest for schoolchildren. Free epilepsy clinics by neurophysicians from all over Pakistan will also be held.”

Prof C.T. Tan, chairman, Commission for Asian and Oceanian Affairs, International League Against Epilepsy, said that epilepsy was common — the lifetime risk was about three per cent. “Its etiological factors and manifestation are varied, including social, psychological and cultural dimension. The pathogenesis is still incompletely understood. A significant proportion of epilepsy patients are resistant to treatment even in regions of the world endowed with rich resources,” he said.

He added that the Asian epilepsy community had always been impressed with the commitment of the Pakistan epilepsy leadership in developing better care for the epilepsy sufferers in their community.

In a message, Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid said that epilepsy, the most common serious disorder of the central nervous system, affected at least 50 million people worldwide, 85 per cent of them living in developing countries. “It is estimated that up to 80 per cent of afflicted persons can lead normal lives with proper treatment. But, unfortunately, the problem is that more than 70 per cent of the affected or their families are unaware of it.”

He added that it was heartening to know that the organizations concerned in our country, including the Epilepsy Association of Pakistan, were alive to the problem and were taking steps in the right direction for creating awareness about this disorder and for treatment of more and more people to help them lead normal lives as respectable citizens of the country.