National Epilepsy Day:
The National Epilepsy Day was observed on November 17, 2021.
- Epilepsy is a chronic non-communicable disease of the brain that affects around 50 million people worldwide.
- It is characterized by recurrent seizures, which are brief episodes of involuntary movement that may involve a part of the body or the entire body and are sometimes accompanied by loss of consciousness and control of bowel or bladder function.
- Nearly 80 per cent of people with epilepsy live in low and middle-income countries. Therefore, it is significant to make people aware of the condition and reduce the number of affected people.
- Although epilepsy is treatable, yet three-fourths of affected people in developing countries do not receive the required treatment. In many parts of the world, people with epilepsy and their families suffer from stigma and discrimination.
