India has the highest population of Epilepsy patients in South Asian countries, with every 20th Indian suffering from the neurological disease, said Balagopal Nair, Regional Medical Director for Abbott Pharmaceuticals Division in India, here on Thursday.

Addressing a roundtable discussion on Epilepsy being organised by Abbott India in connection with create awareness programme on Epilepsy among the public on it, Dr Balagopal said around 4-5 people per 1,000 population are expected to suffer from epilepsy in India, with higher estimates in children and young adults and in rural areas. Mortality rate is less then 4 per cent, he said, adding that epilepsy is caused by infections in the brain and head injuries, in which 70 per cent are completely curable through medicines, while some require surgeries, he informed.

With 70 million people worldwide affected by epilepsy, it is one of the most common neurological diseases globally and around 2.73 million WWE (woman with epilepsy) are estimated to have concealed their history of epilepsy prior to their wedding, fearing social stigma and breakdown of marriage negotiations, he stated.

The chronic non-communicable disorder of the brain affects people of all ages and is known to be more prevalent among the rural (1.9 per cent) compared to urban population (0.6 per cent) with nearly 80 per cent of the people with epilepsy (PWE) living in low-and middle-income countries, Dr Balagopal added. Temporary symptoms occur, such as loss of awareness or consciousness and sensation (including vision, hearing and taste), lack in coordination or other cognitive functions, he said.