Table 4 Participants’ recommendations for increasing epilepsy awareness in the community
Themes and categories | Illustrative quotations from respondents |
|---|---|
Community meetings/seminars | “Sensitization is lacking because it could have been on TVs or radios but I have never heard it there. People are ignorant about it (epilepsy). Most people think that one is born with that illness or must been in one’s family lineage not knowing that one can also get it when they are already old. So we need a seminar”. Respondent PR#3 |
Provision of anti-epileptic drugs at health centers | “That illness is not easy because we are similar to HIV patients; it is swallowed for disease control. So I don’t see why they don’t offer us medicine that we can pick free of charge”. Respondent #PR17 |
Training care givers | “There is a need to train the caregivers and I think there should be a group that unites caregivers. So if we the caregivers have a union that fights for their rights and also explain to others that this illness isn’t contagious such that people buy the idea and the community welcomes it, then the patients wouldn’t get isolated anymore. You see in all ways it is only you her caregiver who won’t isolate her but other people have to isolate her if she has epilepsy”. Respondent CG#27 |