Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
ZIMBABWE has joined a continental initiative aimed at improving care for people living with Epilepsy, as stakeholders intensify efforts to tackle stigma and expand access to treatment.
The Epilepsy Pathway Innovation in Africa (EPInA) programme is bringing together experts, government representatives and communities to address gaps in diagnosis, treatment and awareness. The initiative, launched across countries including Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya, has now been extended to Zimbabwe.
In Harare, health experts, policymakers and researchers convened this week with a shared goal of elevating epilepsy within national public health priorities.
For many Zimbabweans, epilepsy remains shrouded in stigma and misunderstanding, with patients often facing discrimination, delayed diagnosis and limited access to medication.
Epilepsy patient Noleen Munetsi recounted a life marked by misdiagnosis, social stigma and interrupted treatment, highlighting the urgent need for awareness and consistent medical support. Her experience reflects broader challenges faced by many living with the condition, including limited access to drugs, cultural misconceptions and barriers to employment.
Professor Arjune Sen of the University of Oxford said epilepsy remains widely marginalised despite its prevalence.
“Epilepsy care as a whole globally can be marginalised, so epilepsy is a really common condition. One in 20 people will have a seizure at some stage in their lifetime. What we really need to close are a variety of gaps, there’s a diagnostic gap, a treatment gap, an education gap, but one of the biggest gaps is a lack of engagement,” he said.
Experts say Zimbabwe faces a significant treatment gap, with an estimated 85 percent of people living with epilepsy not receiving appropriate care.
Neurology physician and epilepsy specialist Dr Gift Ngwende said the country has between 300 000 and 500 000 epilepsy patients, the majority of whom remain undiagnosed or untreated.
“The treatment gap is the number of people who have epilepsy who are not on appropriate treatment, in Zimbabwe, that figure currently stands at 85 percent, We need to improve diagnostics by coming up with innovative solutions that allow us to go into communities, and then ensure access to medicines,” he said.
Stakeholders say limited numbers of neurologists, high costs of medication and inadequate diagnostic infrastructure continue to hamper progress, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
The EPInA programme is expected to support community-based diagnosis, improve access to affordable medicines and strengthen collaboration between health systems and communities.
The message from the Harare dialogue was clear: epilepsy is a medical condition, not a curse, and can be effectively managed with the right care.
Focus is now on closing the treatment gap, improving awareness and ensuring that no one living with epilepsy is left behind.
