International Epilepsy Day is celebrated on the second Monday of February every year in at least 130 countries worldwide, Zimbabwe included. Ironically this year’s commemoration falls on the 14th of February which is the Valentine’s Day, a day set aside to celebrate love. Valentine’s Day has influenced this year’s commemoration as the epilepsy community is simply asking for the world to show love to people with epilepsy.
By Jacob Ngwenya
Epilepsy is a central nervous system( neurological) disorder in which brain activity is affected causing seizures or periods of unusual behaviors, sensations or loss of awareness. Anyone, anywhere can develop epilepsy regardless of age,gender or race. Seizures symptoms can vary widely. Some people with epilepsy simply stare blankly for a few seconds during a seizure, while others repeatedly twitch their arms and legs. Having a single seizure doesn’t mean you have epilepsy. At least two unprovoked seizures are required for an epilepsy diagnosis.
Epilepsy has no identifiable causes in about half the people who have the condition. In the other half the condition may be traced to some factors that include genetic influence which determines the part of the brain that is affected. Head trauma which might be head injury caused by accidents or any other causes. Brain conditions that can cause damage such as brain tumors or stroke.
Actually stroke is the leading cause of epilepsy in adults over the age of 35. Some infectious diseases like meningitis, HIV etc may also cause epilepsy. Pre-natal injury in which a baby’s brain is very much sensitive to injury caused by infection in the mother,poor nutrition or lack of oxygen supply to the brain. Development disorders such as autism can also cause epilepsy.
People with epilepsy meet a lot of challenges in their journey with the condition. The care gap is experienced at almost every turn of trying to access care services. At least one percent of the Zimbabwean population is perceived to be living with epilepsy though some cases remain undiagnosed due to myths and misconceptions influenced by traditional and cultural beliefs. Some sectors of our community believe that epilepsy is a curse inherited by some families due to avenging spirits or neglected spirits seeking to induce long overdue attention from the affected family. This drives this condition into secrecy and further affecting the patients who are exposed to isolation which further compounds their conditions.
Local names for epilepsy spell disaster for people with epilepsy, izithutwane, pfari, tsviyo, zvipusha are sometimes used in a judgemental manner which has negative effects. Zvipusha is a term that is falsely used that refers to epilepsy as contagious especially when you come to contact to secretions produced during an epileptic fit such as saliva and urine. Stigma and discrimination is so rife in our communities.
High treatment costs are a barrier to epilepsy care. Diagnostic services are outrageous and heavily centralized thereby making them out of reach for people with epilepsy who are already feeling the heat of their poor socio-economic status. This conditions falls under the conditions that the Ministry of Health and Child Care treats for free because of its chronic nature. Unfortunately epilepsy treatment is a nightmare for the ordinary citizen as it is characterized with drug stock outs and constant breakdowns of specialized diagnostic machines in government hospitals. Treatment costs in the private sector are unbearable as this sector is profit oriented.
The epilepsy community is taking advantage of the rare coincidence of the International Epilepsy Day and the Valentine’s Day to call for the world to show some love to people with epilepsy. This a community exposed to burns and injuries. They are a neglected lot who are deprived of love alongside other basic fundamental human rights. As the two events run concurrently this year remember to also colour the world purple a colour of royalty that symbolizes epilepsy love. Show your love by getting your facts right about the condition which will accumulate to attitude shift towards the condition.
