Dubai: Dubai Health Authority (DHA) marked International Epilepsy Day, which falls on March 26, by raising awareness among the public about the disorder.

The Neurology Department of Rashid Hospital launched the campaign to encourage Dubai citizens who are suffering from epilepsy or know a person suffering from it to reach out for help.

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of the brain that predisposes the individual to recurrent seizures. The symptoms of the seizure can occur unpredictably and can range from brief twitches or blank staring to complete loss of consciousness with muscular spasms.

The campaign aims to initiate a local strategy targeting epilepsy through active engagement of medical professionals with the government of Dubai.

Dr Mohammad Majid Al Kaylani, neurologist at Rashid Hospital and head of the campaign, said there are around 50 million people in the world who suffer from epilepsy, and 2.4 million new patients are diagnosed every year.

“In fact, 10 per cent of the population are prone to seizures even if they don’t have epilepsy due to different reasons, such as head trauma. For this reason, we have launched this campaign to raise awareness among the public about epilepsy, its consequences, and ways of dealing with it,” he said.

Dr Al Kaylani said recent studies have attributed the causes of epilepsy to genetics, lesions such as tumours, infections or metabolic reasons, to name a few.

Dr Al Kaylani added that the campaign will encourage Dubai citizens who know a person suffering epilepsy to reach out for help and initiate a local strategy targeting epilepsy through active engagement of medical professionals with the government of Dubai.

Dr Hamda Kamalboor, neurologist at Rashid Hospital and the event’s coordinator, said that the main message of the campaign is to inform the public that with optimal treatment, many people with epilepsy can continue to lead normal lives.

“Sixty per cent of epilepsy cases can be controlled by medication,” she said, adding that Rashid Hospital has a specialised epilepsy clinic every Thursday.

Dr Kamalboor added that the campaign will be launched in Dubai Hospital on Monday to raise awareness about the disease.

“The campaign’s activities includes providing the public with an educational programme on epilepsy through distribution of materials on epilepsy, and organising stations with physicians interacting with the public.”