TNA; EPILEPSY PATIENTS SHOULD NOT BE REFERRED TO TRADITIONAL HEALERS.

Tanzania Neurologists Association (TNA), has said that 75 percent of people with epilepsy are first sent to local healers and spiritual leaders instead of hospitals, a situation that leads to difficulty in controlling it.

speaking the chairman of TNA, Professor William Matuja at the World Epilepsy Day Conference held on February 12 every year in the world, he said that the majority of people in the country have misconceptions about epilepsy, where more than 36 percent still believe that epilepsy is caused bydark forces including evil spirits.In addition, he explained that 26 percent of epilepsy patients have physical problems due to untreated heart attacks, including scars, burns, contractions, sprained limbs, especially shoulders, head injuries and premature deaths.

"Epilepsy is a disease caused by an error or injury in the brain, which causes the patient to fall, to faint or not faint and sometimes foam at the mouth," said Professor Matuja.

he has added that more than 60 million people live with epilepsy worldwide, while the continent of Africa is the continent most affected by the problem where in 1,000 people, between 20-50 people live with the problem.