[Medicosocial aspects of epilepsy in Latin America].

Abstract

This paper justifies the consideration of epilepsy as a social problem and an important public health problem in Latinamerica. It comments on the lack of proper statistical studies and the particular composition of the Latinamerican population where epilepsy has no clear differences according to age, in reference to mortality. It considers the labor structure of the population with low income and exposed to morbility and malnutrition for different causes, making notice that the social problems of epilepsy are by and large going along with the economic deficits and the unequal social system. The article mentions the problem of neonatal anoxia and other perinatal hazards so much influenced by poor hygiene and ignorance, going along with other poorly understood or non existing hygienic prevention problems. Among other points it touches on human and material resources in relation to epilepsy.