INTERNATIONAL EPILEPSY DAY

• Every year the second Monday of February is observed as International Epilepsy Day (IED), and this year it was celebrated on 14th February (2022).
• The day spreads awareness and educates people about the true facts of epilepsy and the urgent need for improved treatment, better care, and greater investment in research.
• The day is a joint initiative of the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). It started in 2015.
• Epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of awareness.
• Epilepsy is defined as having two or more unprovoked seizures.
• Epilepsy is one of the world’s oldest recognized conditions, with written records dating back to 4000 BCE.
• Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally.
• In India, nearly 60 lakh people have epilepsy.
• Anyone can develop epilepsy, but it’s more common in young children and older adults.
• There’s no cure for epilepsy, but the disorder can be managed with medications and other strategies.
• In 2019, a report Epilepsy, a public health imperative was released by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• It is the first global report on epilepsy summarizing the available evidence on the burden of epilepsy and the public health response required at global, regional and national levels.
• The WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) aims at scaling up services for mental, neurological and substance use disorders for countries especially with low- and middle-income.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT