International Epilepsy Day
International Epilepsy Day is a special awareness day that takes place on the second Monday in February to shine a light on the challenges faced by people living with epilepsy.
Epilepsy, also known as seizure disorder, is the fourth most common neurological disorder and one of the oldest-known medicalconditions. The condition causes electrical activity in the brain to stop for a short time, which leads to recurrent seizures. Even though 65 million people in the world live with epilepsy, there is still some stigma around the disease.
International Epilepsy Day seeks to raise awareness and educate the general public on the true facts about epilepsy and the urgent need for improved treatment, better care for people living with the disorder, and greater investment in research.
Today, International Epilepsy Day is commemorated in more than 120 countries all over the world.
Shine Epilepsy Support Organization is proud to join the epilepsy community in recognizing the second Monday in February as International Epilepsy Day.
HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL EPILEPSY DAY
International Epilepsy Day is the brainchild of the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). The two organizations have put together various events on the day since its inception.
The day provides a platform for people with epilepsy to share their experiences and stories with a global audience. The day also calls for all people to advocate for appropriate legislation that will guarantee human rights of people with epilepsy and encourages people with epilepsy to live to their fullest potential. Shine Epilepsy Support is a member of IBE Chapter in Africa.
Epilepsy is one of the world’s oldest-known medical conditions, with records dating back to the beginning of recorded history. Of course, back then, it was treated as a spiritual condition. Public fear and misunderstanding about epilepsy persist, making many people reluctant to talk about it. That reluctance leads to lives lived in the shadows, lack of understanding about individual risk, discrimination in workplaces and communities, and a lack of funding for new therapies research. People with epilepsy die prematurely at a higher rate compared to the general population. The most common cause of death from epilepsy is sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, known as SUDEP. For many people living with epilepsy, the misconceptions and discrimination can be more difficult to overcome than the seizures themselves.
HOW TO OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL EPILEPSY DAY
- Attend an event
- Donate
- Wear purple
Hundreds of events take place all around the world. You can use the hashtag #InternationalEpilepsyDay to find an event close to you, where you can get some muchneeded information about the disease from experts and listen to people living with epilepsy share their experiences
You can donate money to the Shine Epilepsy Support Organization on International Epilepsy Day. This money will support our mission to help people overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and accelerate therapies to stop seizures, make a difference for our cause, and save lives.
Purple is the official awareness colour of epilepsy, so you can add a splash of the colour to your outfit on International Epilepsy Day. You can dye your hair purple, use some purple nail polish or wear a purple tie — the point is to have some purple somewhere on your body.
WHY INTERNATIONAL EPILEPSY DAY IS IMPORTANT
- It breaks a culture of silence
- Too many people die of epilepsy
- It allows people to find a community
When people speak about epilepsy, it is often in hushed tones, as if talking about the disease out loud would summon a seizure. This culture of silence means that there is a lack of information and a lot of misinformation about the disease. International Epilepsy Day works to erase the stigma surrounding epilepsy and provide some helpful information about it.
Every year, more than one in 1,000 people die suddenly due to epilepsy. Part of this is because, in many countries, they do not receive appropriate treatment because people, even medical professionals, do not have enough information about how to treat the disease.
People living with epilepsy can often feel alone or alienated in their experiences. International Epilepsy Day helps them find a community of people like them who can understand their experiences and provide support for them.