Epilepsy is the most common of the severe neurological disorders.
But in contrast to other chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, epilepsy carries a heavy burden of stigma that is a major obstacle to treatment, the study says. Although better understanding of the physical and social burden of epilepsy has moved this disorder higher on the world s health agenda, stigma towards people with epilepsy remains rife in many countries. Consequently, their quality of life remains well below that associated with other chronic illnesses, the authors of the study say. Another cause of the treatment gap is the low priority epilepsy health authorities often give to epilepsy. They list negative cultural attitudes, poverty, poor health infrastructure and inadequate supplies of anti-epileptic drugs as major obstacles to ensuring wider availability of treatment.