2018-03-26 Mon

Purple Day is an event to create and spread awareness about Epilepsy. The first thought of Purple Day was given by Cassidy Megan (16-year-old) in 2008. In 2009, the New York-based Anita Kaufmann Foundation and Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia joined forces to launch Purple Day internationally. Now it has become a worldwide effort to educate the people regarding the Epilepsy. And after that March 26 is celebrated as Purple Day globally.

Epilepsy is the second most common and frequently encountered neurological condition that imposes a heavy burden on individuals, families, and also on healthcare systems. As per a recent study, 70 million people have epilepsy worldwide and nearly 90% of them are found in developing regions.

In the recent years, Epilepsy has attracted the attention of the medical community. Consequently, efforts are being made for better understanding of the disease and also to organize comprehensive services. In order to organize preventive, curative, and rehabilitative services for PWE (the public health approach); understanding the burden, distribution, risk factors, and determinants of epilepsy through epidemiological approaches becomes crucial.

Epilepsy is affecting the lives of many in India. In rural areas, epilepsy is considered as a cursed disease, people don’t talk openly about the seizers and an epileptic person is called mental. So let’s break this stigma, accept the reality and help the people in need.

The Departmental Post of India issued a stamp of INR 6.5 on International Epilepsy and 14th Congress of Neurology depicting a human diagram.

Image Courtesy: Mintage World