Why in news?
The World Health Organization, International League Against Epilepsy and the International Bureau for Epilepsy released a report called “Epilepsy, a public health priority.”
Epilepsy, what is it?
- Epilepsy is a central (neurological) disorder of the nervous system in which brain activity is abnormal, causing seizures or times of unusual behaviour.
- This affects men and women of every sex, gender and age.
- Early deaths are slightly more common in low-and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.
- There is a risk for premature death among more than 75% of people with epilepsy in low-income countries due to an inability to access anti-seizure medicines.
- The report says that the care discrepancy for epilepsy is unfair because 70 percent of people with the disease can be symptom-free if they have access to drugs that can cost as little as $5 per year.
