Advocacy for epilepsy: From the shadows to centre stage: Stand up for epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy is a disease that hijacks the lives of millions of people around the world, affecting people of any age, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. It is an unpredictable, often debilitating disorder that imposes a serious health burden worldwide. Ongoing advocacy efforts have made great strides towards fighting stigma, improving epilepsy education for medical professionals and the public, and closing the treatment gap for those with epilepsy. Going forward, it is vital that we continue to advocate for government agencies to make epilepsy a priority. Medical professionals need to be educated on how to manage epilepsy, and appropriate diagnostic tools and treatments must be made widely available. We must work to improve public education and establish clear therapeutic and research guidelines. Through collaboration between advocacy groups, governments, and individuals we can bring epilepsy out of the shadows and work towards a world in which no one’s life is limited by epilepsy.