Up to 70% of individuals with epilepsy in Africa do not access optimal care and medication. This is referred to as the epilepsy treatment gap. In rural areas, the epilepsy treatment gap may be as high as 85%. The same challenge in access to care applies to other neurological conditions like cerebral palsy, stroke, chronic headaches and the neurological after-effects of road traffic accidents. This limitation in access in many areas of Africa is attributed to poverty, lack of awareness compounded by dis-empowering myths and stigma, poor health systems, and limited availability of health workers with adequate skills and knowledge for the care of epilepsy and other neurological diseases.
At Ubuntu Neurology, we are committed to bridge this gap in access to care through a number of interventions:
We support access to neurological care in several parts of the country through our non-profit affiliate, Afya Research Africa (ARA). ARA runs a network of primary health centres called Ubuntu-Afya Kiosks that target rural communities. These centres are run in partnership with the beneficiary communities and county governments, and reach out to under-served communities at the bottom of the pyramid. Ubuntu Neurology liaises with the clinicians who serve at these kiosks to offer specialised neurological and non-communicable disease consultations for their patients, and facilitate access to medicines that are usually out of reach in these settings. A number of times, we run outreach clinics, providing assessment and initiating treatment for patients with epilepsy and other neurological conditions. Have a look at ARA’s reach through her Ubuntu-Afya Kiosks network:
