The world health organization, W.H.O has affirmed that the disease, epilepsy is not a communicable disease. The organization in its wisdom, tagged the 11th of February as world's epilepsy day. This day was particularly set aside to raise awareness on the disease, epilepsy.
According to W.H.O, epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures. Seizures are due to brief disturbances in the electrical function of the brain. The disease affects more than 50 million people worldwide. It is one of the most common neurological conditions.
A neurological condition is a disease of the brain. Record shows that there are over 600 neurological diseases. They include stroke, brain tumor, epilepsy but to name a few.
Epilepsy as a neurological disease is one of the oldest disease conditions as it dates far as 4000BC.
However fear, uncertainty and social stigma has surrounded this disease for centuries. One of which includes the uncertainty of it being contagious. In our society people seen experiencing crises like seizures are usually abandoned, since they think they would get infected with the disease.
In Nigeria, there is no data on the prevalence of the disease in the country, where people who suffer from it are victimized, according to an epilepsy research published in science direct.
The World Health Organization, WHO has asserted that the disease can be treated and that people with epilepsy can do whatever those without it do.
