Monday, February 12th, 2024 is International Epilepsy Day!

Monday, February 14 2022 is International Epilepsy Day!

International Epilepsy Day Art Competition

Art Competition Results!

To celebrate International Epilepsy Day 2020, we held an art competition with the theme ‘Friendship and Inclusion’. Click below to see the winners!

Interactive #EpilepsyDay Message Board

Share your selfies, pics and messages on social media with the #EpilepsyDay hashtag and they’ll appear on our Message Board!

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Attend an #EpilepsyDay Event

Attend one of the many International Epilepsy Day Events happening around the globe!

International Epilepsy Day is an annual awareness-raising initiative organised by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE).

International Epilepsy Day is now more important than ever.

International Epilepsy Day is a key initiative that the epilepsy community will use to drive the implementation of the World Health Organisation’s [WHO] 10-year Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and other Neurological Disorders (2022-2031) or IGAP.

IGAP is a ten-year roadmap that contains a specific strategic objective to strengthen the public health approach to epilepsy and two global targets aiming to close the major treatment and inclusion gaps for people with epilepsy worldwide:

  • Global target 5.1: By 2031, countries will have increased service coverage for epilepsy by 50% from the current coverage in 2021.
  • Global target 5.2: 80% of countries will have developed or updated their legislation with a view to promoting and protecting the human rights of people with epilepsy by 2031.

One of the key barriers to achieving these epilepsy specific global targets is the low levels of health literacy and the high levels of misunderstanding and misconceptions about epilepsy.

This lack of knowledge translates into social stigma and exclusion and leads to the discrimination of people with epilepsy across all levels of society. For example, at work, at school or in the community.

Lack of knowledge can also contribute to challenges in access to treatment due to misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment decisions, inadequate provision of care and insufficient support for people with epilepsy and those who care for them. In fact, due to the stigma surrounding epilepsy, in many parts of the world, those affected will not come forward to seek care.

Additionally, lack of knowledge also hampers prioritisation of, and resource allocation, to epilepsy by our policy and decision-makers, and acknowledgment of the need for specific policies and programmes to address the burden of epilepsy.

Therefore, this #EpilepsyDay, we want to improve knowledge levels about epilepsy amongst all sectors of society by asking people with epilepsy and those who care for them to share their Epilepsy Journey.

Join the conversation by sharing your journey with us, or explore the journeys of others to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of epilepsy worldwide

Let’s learn from one another how we can effectively implement IGAP’s ten-year roadmap to overcome obstacles and improve care for epilepsy globally.

  • International Epilepsy Day 2021 Report

International Epilepsy Day 2021 Report

International Epilepsy Day, a joint initiative created by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), is a global event celebrated annually on the 2nd Monday of February, to

Fred Beuchi’s Kilimanjaro challenge

  To achieve our 50 Million Steps for Epilepsy challenge doesn’t require that you climb a mountain. Yet, that is exactly what Fred Beuchi and his team are doing right now as a prequel to

Let’s shine a light for epilepsy!

International Epilepsy Day 2021 will take place on Monday, February 8. This is a powerful opportunity to highlight the problems faced by people affected by epilepsy, their families and carers, in every region of the