By Brenda Nkosi

Blantyre, May 28, Mana: A community engagement meeting of people with epilepsy has revealed gaps in epilepsy treatment and stigma as setbacks in management of the disorder.

Speaking during the engagement at Chileka in Blantyre on Wednesday, Mental Health Clinical Officer for Chileka Health Centre, Chisomo Kapiseni, said most cases would have been moderate if they were well managed socially and clinically.

“Most of the patients do not take medication as prescribed. They only come to the clinic when they are experiencing severe reactions,” he said.

Kapiseni said the health facility is also limited in the provision of treatment as some cases of epilepsy require expensive drugs which are rarely in stock.

“We are only able to give them Carbamazipine and Phernobotone while we need almost 10 other kinds of drugs that go with other cases of epilepsy or when the patient is not responding to the ones we have,” said Kapiseni.

He highlighted that poor management of epilepsy leads to brain damage which manifests through memory loss, behavior disturbances, poor problem solving and intellectual disabilities.

Skensi Nkwaila, a person with epilepsy, from Solomoni Village in Traditional Authority (TA) Kuntaja said they are discriminated against because they are looked at as sick people who cannot work.

“It is hard for us to find meaningful employment because we are not looked at for our abilities but the condition we have.

“I am 37 years and I only have seizures four to five times a year. Yet no one is willing to give me any work. I completed by educated up to Form Two so I can do something meaningful,” he said.

He said myths like that they are witches, their breathing transmits epilepsy to those who inhale it or sits next to them, and that they cannot marry or get educated segregates them in their communities.

Project Manager for Epilepsy Warriors Foundation (EWF), Symon Kaseko, said they are implementing a project called Leveraging Social Protection Schemes and Inclusive Budgeting as tools to address stigma surrounding epilepsy.

The project is being implemented in Blantyre with funding from Disability Rights Fund (DRF).