More than 100 000 people in Zimbabwe suffer from epilepsy and there is need to dispel myths about the disorder and increase the knowledge of the condition. Epilepsy is a brain disorder involving recurrent seizures. There are many myths and superstitions about its origins which has fueled negative attitudes towards people with epilepsy.
In most cultures a person with epilepsy is stigmatised because people assume that he/she is possessed by an evil spirit or is mentally retarded. There is also a belief that children with epilepsy are not as intelligent as those who do not experience it. The condition has no cure but can be controlled through the use of drugs.
The drugs used to control epilepsy are cost $660 000 in public health institutions and more than $10 million in private health institutions. They are not readily available to buy from public health institutions so the public is forced to buy from the more expensive private health institutions.
