On the occasion of European Epilepsy Day, which will be celebrated this Monday, the 14th of February 2011, the European Parliament in Strasbourg will next week (14th and 15th February) host a series of events organised by the International Bureau of Epilepsy and the International League Against Epilepsy.

These events, which include a photo exhibition entitled ‘The Many Faces of Epilepsy’, will be attended by international and national epilepsy organisations from more than 20 European countries. The Caritas Malta Epilepsy Association will be represented by Dr. Janet Mifsud and Ms. Victoria Dimech.

Epilepsy is the most common serious disorder of the brain affecting six million men, women and children of all ages and social backgrounds. Epilepsy damages health, but also disrupts every aspect of life – imposing physical, psychological, social and financial burdens on individuals and families.

More than 4000 people are affected by epilepsy in Malta, and despite the excellent health care services in our country, they still face daily problems such as essential medicines frequently out of stock, lack of essential diagnostic services such as video-telemetry, and stigma in employment. These pose serious challenges which need to be addressed urgently.

During its visit to Strasbourg, the Maltese delegation will have the opportunity to meet and brief Maltese European Members of Parliament about epilepsy. They will also form part of the delegation which will meet Mr. John Dalli, EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy and Ms Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science.

Celebrating European Epilepsy Day will further help to raise awareness and contribute to improving the lives of people with epilepsy in Europe and in Malta.

European Epilepsy Day will also be celebrated in Malta. The Malta Pharmaceutical Student Association (MPSA) Malta Medical Student Association (MMSA) and Malta Association of Dental Students (MADS) are organising an event on the University of Malta campus on the 2nd March 2011, in conjunction with the Caritas Malta Epilepsy Association and Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

A facebook page has been set up in this regard:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=151127001611247

Permalink: European Epilepsy Day to be celebrated on February 14th