ISTANBUL
A Turkish epilepsy body has warned that the country’s estimated 700,000 sufferers face possible ostracization, depression and even suicide if their condition goes untreated.
Now the Turkish chapter of the International League Against Epilepsy – a professional organization representing those researching the neurological condition -- and French pharmaceutical company Sanofi are introducing a photography competition to raise awareness.
Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy – a chronic disorder of the brain which can result in seizures; this makes it one of the most common neurological diseases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Around 700,000 of those patients are in Turkey.
The photo competition – called 'Be an objective for Epilepsy' is open to everyone aged six and above.
Speaking to press in Istanbul on Thursday, Professor Candan Gurses of Istanbul University said that around 2.4 million people worldwide were diagnosed with epilepsy every year.
Noting that every year 30-50 people out of 100 were diagnosed with epilepsy in developed world, Gurses said that this also number has increased in developing countries.
Approximately 80 percent of people with epilepsy live in low and middle-income countries such as Turkey, according to the WHO which also claims about three-quarters of people living in those states do not receive enough treatment.
Gurses added: “Around 30,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy in Turkey every year.”
Nothing that people with epilepsy can live a “normal life” if they can get treatment, Gurses warned: “If the illness is not treated, it might cause… ostracization, depression and suicide.”
“In many parts of the world, people with epilepsy and their families suffer from stigma and discrimination,” according to the WHO.
According to Gurses, the unemployment rate for people with epilepsy is around three times higher than the average population.
She added that stigma at schools also negatively affects epileptic children.
The winner of the photo computation will be announced on September 5 at the International Epilepsy Congress, which will be held in Istanbul.
Well-known Turkish photographer Mehmet Turgut is one of the jury members who will award winners of three categories with prizes between 2,500 and 1,500 Turkish liras ($921-$552.)
