Treatment and prevention of epilepsy in onchocerciasis-endemic areas is urgently needed
Abstract Background There is increasing epidemiological evidence supporting the association between onchocerciasis and seizures, reinforcing the concept of onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE). The aim of this paper is to provide an update on the new knowledge about OAE and to propose recommenda...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Infectious Diseases of Poverty |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-024-01174-8 |
| _version_ | 1797355477877653504 |
|---|---|
| author | Robert Colebunders Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo Olivia Kamoen Luís-Jorge Amaral Amber Hadermann Chiara Trevisan Mark J. Taylor Julia Gauglitz Achim Hoerauf Yasuaki Sato Katja Polman María-Gloria Basáñez Dan Bhwana Thomson Lakwo Gasim Abd-Elfarag Sébastien D. Pion |
| author_facet | Robert Colebunders Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo Olivia Kamoen Luís-Jorge Amaral Amber Hadermann Chiara Trevisan Mark J. Taylor Julia Gauglitz Achim Hoerauf Yasuaki Sato Katja Polman María-Gloria Basáñez Dan Bhwana Thomson Lakwo Gasim Abd-Elfarag Sébastien D. Pion |
| author_sort | Robert Colebunders |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background There is increasing epidemiological evidence supporting the association between onchocerciasis and seizures, reinforcing the concept of onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE). The aim of this paper is to provide an update on the new knowledge about OAE and to propose recommendations to the World Health Organization how to address this public health problem. Main text During the 2nd International Workshop on OAE held on 19–21 September, 2023, in Antwerp, Belgium, participants recognised OAE as a substantial yet neglected public health problem, particularly in areas of sub-Saharan Africa where onchocerciasis remains hyperendemic. Evidence from prospective population-based studies suggest that strengthening onchocerciasis elimination efforts leads to a significant reduction of OAE incidence. There is a need to validate an OAE case definition to estimate the burden of disease and identify onchocerciasis-endemic areas requiring intensification of onchocerciasis elimination programmes and integration of epilepsy care. It is expected that raising awareness about OAE will boost the population uptake of ivermectin. The implementation of a community-based epilepsy treatment programme offering free anti-seizure medications (ASMs) has shown high effectiveness in reducing the frequency of seizures and improving the overall quality of life of people with epilepsy. Conclusions To reduce OAE burden, enhanced collaboration between onchocerciasis and mental health programmes at community, national, and international levels is required. Urgent efforts are needed to ensure the uninterrupted provision of free ASMs in onchocerciasis-endemic areas. Furthermore, OAE should be included in the quantification of the onchocerciasis disease burden. Graphical Abstract |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:11:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5e33cc1e0904b71b7527d47660e0ffd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2049-9957 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:11:44Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Infectious Diseases of Poverty |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5e33cc1e0904b71b7527d47660e0ffd2024-01-14T12:42:34ZengBMCInfectious Diseases of Poverty2049-99572024-01-011311510.1186/s40249-024-01174-8Treatment and prevention of epilepsy in onchocerciasis-endemic areas is urgently neededRobert Colebunders0Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo1Olivia Kamoen2Luís-Jorge Amaral3Amber Hadermann4Chiara Trevisan5Mark J. Taylor6Julia Gauglitz7Achim Hoerauf8Yasuaki Sato9Katja Polman10María-Gloria Basáñez11Dan Bhwana12Thomson Lakwo13Gasim Abd-Elfarag14Sébastien D. Pion15Global Health Institute, University of AntwerpGlobal Health Institute, University of AntwerpDepartment of Neurology, Heilig Hart ZiekenhuisGlobal Health Institute, University of AntwerpGlobal Health Institute, University of AntwerpDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Tropical MedicineLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineDepartment of Computer Science, University of AntwerpInstitute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital BonnSchool of Global Humanities and Social Sciences, Nagasaki UniversityDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Tropical MedicineMRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis and London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College LondonNational Institute for Medical ResearchVector Control Division, Ministry of HealthSchool of Public Health, University of JubaFrench National Research Institute for Sustainable DevelopmentAbstract Background There is increasing epidemiological evidence supporting the association between onchocerciasis and seizures, reinforcing the concept of onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE). The aim of this paper is to provide an update on the new knowledge about OAE and to propose recommendations to the World Health Organization how to address this public health problem. Main text During the 2nd International Workshop on OAE held on 19–21 September, 2023, in Antwerp, Belgium, participants recognised OAE as a substantial yet neglected public health problem, particularly in areas of sub-Saharan Africa where onchocerciasis remains hyperendemic. Evidence from prospective population-based studies suggest that strengthening onchocerciasis elimination efforts leads to a significant reduction of OAE incidence. There is a need to validate an OAE case definition to estimate the burden of disease and identify onchocerciasis-endemic areas requiring intensification of onchocerciasis elimination programmes and integration of epilepsy care. It is expected that raising awareness about OAE will boost the population uptake of ivermectin. The implementation of a community-based epilepsy treatment programme offering free anti-seizure medications (ASMs) has shown high effectiveness in reducing the frequency of seizures and improving the overall quality of life of people with epilepsy. Conclusions To reduce OAE burden, enhanced collaboration between onchocerciasis and mental health programmes at community, national, and international levels is required. Urgent efforts are needed to ensure the uninterrupted provision of free ASMs in onchocerciasis-endemic areas. Furthermore, OAE should be included in the quantification of the onchocerciasis disease burden. Graphical Abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-024-01174-8OnchocerciasisMorbidityBurden of diseasePreventionIvermectinEpilepsy |
| spellingShingle | Robert Colebunders Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo Olivia Kamoen Luís-Jorge Amaral Amber Hadermann Chiara Trevisan Mark J. Taylor Julia Gauglitz Achim Hoerauf Yasuaki Sato Katja Polman María-Gloria Basáñez Dan Bhwana Thomson Lakwo Gasim Abd-Elfarag Sébastien D. Pion Treatment and prevention of epilepsy in onchocerciasis-endemic areas is urgently needed Infectious Diseases of Poverty Onchocerciasis Morbidity Burden of disease Prevention Ivermectin Epilepsy |
| title | Treatment and prevention of epilepsy in onchocerciasis-endemic areas is urgently needed |
| title_full | Treatment and prevention of epilepsy in onchocerciasis-endemic areas is urgently needed |
| title_fullStr | Treatment and prevention of epilepsy in onchocerciasis-endemic areas is urgently needed |
| title_full_unstemmed | Treatment and prevention of epilepsy in onchocerciasis-endemic areas is urgently needed |
| title_short | Treatment and prevention of epilepsy in onchocerciasis-endemic areas is urgently needed |
| title_sort | treatment and prevention of epilepsy in onchocerciasis endemic areas is urgently needed |
| topic | Onchocerciasis Morbidity Burden of disease Prevention Ivermectin Epilepsy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-024-01174-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertcolebunders treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT josephnelsonsiewefodjo treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT oliviakamoen treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT luisjorgeamaral treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT amberhadermann treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT chiaratrevisan treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT markjtaylor treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT juliagauglitz treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT achimhoerauf treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT yasuakisato treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT katjapolman treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT mariagloriabasanez treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT danbhwana treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT thomsonlakwo treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT gasimabdelfarag treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded AT sebastiendpion treatmentandpreventionofepilepsyinonchocerciasisendemicareasisurgentlyneeded |