Epilepsy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Epilepsy, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, drugs, information.

Prevalence of epilepsy its treatment gap and knowledge, attitude and practice of its population in sub-urban Senegal an ILAE/IBE/WHO study.

Ndoye NF, Sow AD, Diop AG, Sessouma B, Séne-Diouf F, Boissy L, Wone I, Touré K, Ndiaye M, Ndiaye P, de Boer H, Engel J, Mandlhate C, Meinardi H, Prilipko L, Sander JW

Clinique Neurologie, Hopital Universitaire de Fann, BP 5035, Dakar, Senegal.

A door-to-door survey was used to determine the prevalence of epilepsy among 4500 people within the Pikine Health District (population 480,000) Senegal. Prevalence was 14.2/1000, and 23.4% of all people with epilepsy had never received appropriate treatment. Figures for the prevalence had increased since a previous survey in 1989. In parallel a study of knowledge attitude and practice was performed in the same district. Salient findings were that: two-thirds of interviewees had at some time witnessed a seizure, 51% agreed when asked if epilepsy is caused by evil spirits, 35% said epilepsy is contagious, only about 18% said that traditional therapy is best, 60% would not mind their child to play with a child with epilepsy but only 32% would agree if their child would want to marry a person with epilepsy.

Published 7 February 2005 in Seizure, 14(2): 106-11.
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