Epilepsy in Morocco: Realities, pitfalls and prospects

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 50 million people of all ages have epilepsy and nearly 85% of whom live in low- and middle-income (LMICs) countries. In Morocco, epilepsy is one of the major neurological health conditions, with an estimated prevalence of 1.1%. The management of patients is difficult due to multiple factors. The lack of neurologists whose number is currently 180, the uneven distribution of neurologists who are concentrated in large cities, 43% of whom are in Rabat and Casablanca alone; the low involvement of general practitioners in the management of epilepsy; the frequent consultation of traditional healers; and the low coverage of social security all contribute to the treatment gap. The management of epilepsy has advanced considerably since the early nineties. Several factors contributed to this progress: the increasing number of neurologists compared to previous years, the creation of well-equipped new academic centers, and small units of general neurology, in addition to the disuse of several antiepileptic drugs. However, much work remains to be done against the use of many forms of traditional practices and the low involvement of general practitioners in the management of epilepsy. This is the first study on epilepsy conducted in Morocco.