SA's epilepsy-related deaths double

Epilepsy is a condition of unusual electrical activity in the brain that affects people of both sexes and all ages, resulting in physical fits or seizures.

In some cases, epilepsy has no identifiable causes, but in many, it has an underlying genetic basis.

Epilepsy SA says South Africa had a record of 1,383 epilepsy-related deaths in 2004, but the figure has since doubled to more than 2,500 deaths just nine years later. A condition called Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy is thought to be the main contributor.

Karen Robinson, Epilepsy SA's national social development manager, said epilepsy was poorly recognised and treated in general by healthcare services.

"Though epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions, it has not been adequately addressed as a public health concern," she said.

Re-educate people

She said one of the major challenges was to get the correct information out in public.

"It is harder to re-educate people than to educate them. For instance, people were told to put something in the person's mouth when a seizure occurs but this is not safe," she said.

According to the World Health Organisation, developing countries have poor epilepsy treatment outcomes because of lack of education and sanitation, inadequacies in healthcare resources and delivery and the social stigma that attached to the condition.

Gauteng Department of Health spokesman Popo Maja confirmed that it does not recognise epilepsy as a cause of death. Quoting a Statistics South Africa report released on 11 April, he said: "South Africa does not list epilepsy as a cause of death".

When asked about why the department does not catalogue epilepsy on its website under "diseases and conditions" as many illnesses were, he could give no explanation for this.

"The department developed two national guidelines in 2005 and 2009 which address epilepsy and its relevant non-drug and drug treatments," Maja said.

Source: Sowetan via I-Net Bridge