Epilepsy awareness days, weeks, and months: Their roles in the fight against epilepsy and the intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

OBJECTIVES: This research sought to find out the epilepsy awareness days around the world and understand the nature and role of the days in the fight against epilepsy in relation to the Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) on epilepsy and other neurological disorders (2022-2031). METHODS: We conducted a review of journal articles. The databases that we searched were ProQuest Central, EBSCOhost Academic Search Complete, EBSCO Medline, PubMed Central, Wiley Online, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), African Journals Online (AJOL), and Google Scholar. We limited our search to papers of relevance to our subject published between January 2000 and January 2023. We searched 'epilepsy awareness day, week, or month'. From the databases, 13 articles met our inclusion criteria. We augmented our results with a search on Google of articles about epilepsy awareness day, week, or month. We also searched directly on the websites of epilepsy organizations. RESULTS: We found that epilepsy awareness days fall into these categories: global awareness days (n = 2), awareness months (n = 4), regional awareness weeks (n = 5), and regional awareness days (n = 1). Our search for national awareness days (n = 7) was not comprehensive, and this could be an area for future research. The literature shows that epilepsy awareness days could play a role in (1) reducing knowledge and treatment gaps, (2) increasing participation, (3) unlocking resources, and (4) necessitating policy change and increasing networking. The major role of these dedicated days in the IGAP is to accelerate awareness and advocacy for policy change and improved interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Epilepsy awareness days are bringing stakeholders together already, and IGAP initiatives could tap into this achievement to accelerate awareness in a cost effective, contextual and collaborative manner. This could be achieved by adopting themes that relate more directly to the IGAP goals. Another important strategy is to motivate countries that do not have national epilepsy days or regions that do not have a regional awareness days, to consider doing one within the confines of resources.

Beliefs and attitudes of traditional healers regarding epilepsy in Cameroon.

INTRODUCTION: People living with epilepsy suffer from stigmatization, overprotection, or exclusion, thus, part of these population in developing countries uses traditional medicine as a first resort. METHODS: We prospectively conducted a study to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of traditional healers (THs) concerning epilepsy. Over a 9-month period, we included 208 THs practicing in the Littoral, Center and West regions of Cameroon who agreed to participate in the study. The THs were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Epi Info version 7.2 software. RESULTS: Two-hundred and eight THs were recruited, with a mean age ± standard deviation (SD) of 49.9 ± 11.4 years, and 169 (81.2%) were male. Primary 77(37.0%) and secondary 67(32.2%) levels of education were the most represented, and most of the THs had more than 10 years of professional experience. One hundred and forty-one TH (68,7%) had poor knowledge about epilepsy. The independent factors associated with poor knowledge were female sex, Muslim religion, and marital status of cohabitation. One hundred and eighty-four THs (88.4%) had a good attitude and practices toward people with seizures. Factors independently associated with poor practices and attitude were rural residence, Muslim religion, and education level. CONCLUSION: Our result confirmed that THs had poor knowledge about epilepsy but good attitudes and practices about epilepsy. THs were in favor of future collaboration with modern medicine in the care of people living with epilepsy.

Epilepsy and stigma in Africa: Viewpoint of healthcare professionals and combat strategies.

Epilepsy is a major public health problem in developing countries where eighty percent (80%) of people with epilepsy (PWE) live. Stigma has psychological consequences as well as serious repercussions on patients' quality of life. This study assesses the perception of health professionals in Africa regarding the stigmatization of PWE. METHODOLOGY: This is a multicenter descriptive, cross-sectional study, from 1st August 2020 to 1st September 2021. Medical practitioners from African countries involved in the management of epilepsy and who agreed to fill out forms were included in the study. Sampling was nonrandom and based on respondent choice. The data were analyzed using the EPI INFO 7 software. RESULTS: A total of two hundred and twenty-nine (229) health workers from twenty-six (26) African countries participated in this survey. 24.89% of the respondents were specialists and 46.72% were neurologists. Ninety-one percent (91%) of practitioners felt that PWE were stigmatised. The main forms of stigma were isolation (68.56%), celibacy (60.70%), unemployment (53.28%), divorce (44.54%) and exclusion (37.99%)%). Community, school and family were recognized as the main places of stigmatization. The fight against this stigma was carried out mainly in hospitals and in isolation in 58.4% and 55.8% of cases, respectively. Only 0.4% of practitioners opted for mass awareness. CONCLUSION: PWE are victims of various forms of stigmatization, particularly in community settings. Measures aimed at raising awareness of the public are essential to reduce this stigma and improve patients' quality of life.

[Neuropsychiatric manifestations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: about 108 cases in Cameroon]. / Manifestations neuropsychiatriques au cours du lupus érythémateux systémique: à propos de 108 cas au Cameroun.

Few data on neuropsychiatric disorders in systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) are available in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this study was to determine their frequency and describe their features in Cameroon. We conducted a retrospective study collecting all the medical records of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) hospitalized in the department of rheumatology of 3 hospitals in Cameroon from 2009 to 2019. Lupus activity was assessed using the SLE activity index (SLEDAI). A total of 108 records of patients with a mean age of 40.2 ± 13.7 years were included in the study. The frequency of NPSLE was 55.5% (n=60). Neuropsychiatric disorders were diagnosed concomitantly with SLE (37.0%; n = 40) while in 20 patients with SLE (18.5%) they occurred during the first year. When NPSLE were inaugural, central nervous system involvement was dominant, with demyelinating syndrome 27.8% (n=30) and headaches 21.3% (n=23). Mononeuropathy was the most frequent peripheral nervous system involvement (15.7%; n=17). Factors associated with NPSLE occurrence were malar rash (p=0.024), alopecia (p=0.024), very high lupus activity (p=0.011), arthralgia (p<0.001), anti-nuclear factor (p=0.002). NPSLE did not appear to influence either lupus activity (log rank p=0.227) or the probability of new onset lupus (log rank p=0.233). More than half of patients had NPSLE during the first year. The presence of cutaneous and articular signs, high lupus activity, and anti-nuclear factor were associated with the occurrence of NPSLE.

Why does Africa have the lowest number of Neurologists and how to cover the Gap?

PURPOSE: Neurology is one of Africa's central and noble specialties due to the frequency of its related diseases. Through this study we: -1-described the status of neurologists in Africa in terms of numbers,-2-listed the reasons and discussed how to increase their number, and how to get the most benefit of them in healthcare coverage. METHODS: The distribution and number of neurologists in the African continent was acquired from many participants in different African countries using a survey sent between March 2020 and August 2020 by email. Further, data from the World health organization on the number of neurologists was added for the countries, from which we didn't receive answers by the survey. RESULTS: Surveys' answers were received from representatives of 50 (92%) of the 54 African nations. Authors suggest a ranking into four levels according to the number of neurologists per nation. Level A [more than 201 neurologists per country] included 2 nations. Level B [31 to 200 neurologists per country] included six nations. Level C [1 to 30 neurologists per country] including the majority of African countries (36 nations). Level D includes 10 nations without any neurologists. CONCLUSION: The need for reliable and competent neurologists with a sufficient number is considered as a crucial element to enhance the care of neurological diseases in Africa. For this, all African countries should establish new centers of excellence in neurology, by developing good south-south collaboration with supports from governmental and non-governmental institutions.