Seeking care for epilepsy and its impacts on households in a rural district in southern Malawi

Background: Epilepsy is a disability as defined in the 2012 Disability Act of the Government of Malawi. Objectives: This article explores the health-seeking behaviour of people with epilepsy in a rural town in southern Malawi and how having a person with epilepsy impacts on the households’ product...

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Main Authors: Alister Munthali, Stine H. Braathen, Lisbet Grut, Yusman Kamaleri, Benedicte Ingstad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2013-09-01
Series:African Journal of Disability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/54
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author Alister Munthali
Stine H. Braathen
Lisbet Grut
Yusman Kamaleri
Benedicte Ingstad
author_facet Alister Munthali
Stine H. Braathen
Lisbet Grut
Yusman Kamaleri
Benedicte Ingstad
author_sort Alister Munthali
collection DOAJ
description Background: Epilepsy is a disability as defined in the 2012 Disability Act of the Government of Malawi. Objectives: This article explores the health-seeking behaviour of people with epilepsy in a rural town in southern Malawi and how having a person with epilepsy impacts on the households’ productivity. Method: A snowball approach was used to identify persons with various forms of disabilities. The article is based on a bigger study carried out in Malawi which explored how persons with disabilities seek health care. In this bigger study, a total of 63 interviews were done with persons with disabilities or their guardians. Eight of the 63 interviews were with persons with epilepsy and this article is based on these interviews. Results: The study found that persons with epilepsy seek both traditional and modern medicines to treat the condition. Informants mentioned that barriers to accessing western treatment include lack of medicines, congestion at health facilities, lack of knowledge about epilepsy, misdiagnosis by health workers and the belief that epilepsy caused by witchcraft cannot be treated by western medicine. The study also highlights the wider impacts of epilepsy on the household such as the failure of children to attend school, children dropping out of school, stigma and discrimination and households being driven deeper into poverty as a result of seeking care for members with epilepsy. Conclusion: The existing barriers to accessing treatment for epilepsy can be addressed by using a combination of public education, simple treatments and regular reviews. Ensuring constant availability of drugs for the treatment of epilepsy is key to effective treatment of the condition. This would contribute to closing the treatment gap for epilepsy as advocated by the Global Campaign against Epilepsy.
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spelling doaj.art-9b07f3ec8f0b4e3d92821259764ae3e42022-12-22T02:56:20ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Disability2223-91702226-72202013-09-0121e1e810.4102/ajod.v2i1.5424Seeking care for epilepsy and its impacts on households in a rural district in southern MalawiAlister Munthali0Stine H. Braathen1Lisbet Grut2Yusman Kamaleri3Benedicte Ingstad4Centre for Social Research, University of MalawiSINTEF Technology and Society, OsloSINTEF Technology and Society, OsloSINTEF Technology and Society, OsloDepartment of Community Medicine, University of OsloBackground: Epilepsy is a disability as defined in the 2012 Disability Act of the Government of Malawi. Objectives: This article explores the health-seeking behaviour of people with epilepsy in a rural town in southern Malawi and how having a person with epilepsy impacts on the households’ productivity. Method: A snowball approach was used to identify persons with various forms of disabilities. The article is based on a bigger study carried out in Malawi which explored how persons with disabilities seek health care. In this bigger study, a total of 63 interviews were done with persons with disabilities or their guardians. Eight of the 63 interviews were with persons with epilepsy and this article is based on these interviews. Results: The study found that persons with epilepsy seek both traditional and modern medicines to treat the condition. Informants mentioned that barriers to accessing western treatment include lack of medicines, congestion at health facilities, lack of knowledge about epilepsy, misdiagnosis by health workers and the belief that epilepsy caused by witchcraft cannot be treated by western medicine. The study also highlights the wider impacts of epilepsy on the household such as the failure of children to attend school, children dropping out of school, stigma and discrimination and households being driven deeper into poverty as a result of seeking care for members with epilepsy. Conclusion: The existing barriers to accessing treatment for epilepsy can be addressed by using a combination of public education, simple treatments and regular reviews. Ensuring constant availability of drugs for the treatment of epilepsy is key to effective treatment of the condition. This would contribute to closing the treatment gap for epilepsy as advocated by the Global Campaign against Epilepsy.https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/54Disabilityepilepsypovertyhousehold productivityMalawi
spellingShingle Alister Munthali
Stine H. Braathen
Lisbet Grut
Yusman Kamaleri
Benedicte Ingstad
Seeking care for epilepsy and its impacts on households in a rural district in southern Malawi
African Journal of Disability
Disability
epilepsy
poverty
household productivity
Malawi
title Seeking care for epilepsy and its impacts on households in a rural district in southern Malawi
title_full Seeking care for epilepsy and its impacts on households in a rural district in southern Malawi
title_fullStr Seeking care for epilepsy and its impacts on households in a rural district in southern Malawi
title_full_unstemmed Seeking care for epilepsy and its impacts on households in a rural district in southern Malawi
title_short Seeking care for epilepsy and its impacts on households in a rural district in southern Malawi
title_sort seeking care for epilepsy and its impacts on households in a rural district in southern malawi
topic Disability
epilepsy
poverty
household productivity
Malawi
url https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/54
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