MOST RECENT PUBLICATION
Epilepsy awareness days, weeks, and months: Their roles in the fight against epilepsy and the intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders
Epilepsy & Behavior 148 (2023) 109457
Rugare Mugumbate a,b,⇑, Raymond Klevor c,d, Mauricio Olave Aguirre e, Gams Massi Daniel f,
Nasir Yaqoob g, Keryma Acevedo h, Enat Yewnetu i, Chantal Kanyabutembo j, Etedal Ahmed A. Ibrahim k, Salim Boutadghart c,d, Adam Janneh l, Najib Kissani c,d
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a School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Australia
b Department of Social Work & Community Development, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
c Neuroscience Research Laboratory of Marrakesh Medical School, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco
d Department of Neurology, Mohammed VI University Medical Center, Marrakesh, Morocco
e Fundacion Centro Colambiano de Epilepsia y Emfermedades Neurologicas (FIRE), Colombia
f Neurology Unit, Douala General Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Cameroon
g National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Karachi, Pakistan h Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Liga Chilena Contra la Epilepsia, Chile
i Care Epilepsy Ethiopia, Ethiopia
j Epilepsy Alliance Africa (EAA), Rwanda
k Faculty of Medicine, Alneelain University. The National Centre for Neurological Science, Khartoum, Sudan
l Foundation for Epilepsy and Stigma Support (FESS-GAM), Gambia

Global South Epilepsy Research Group (GSERG)

Our group investigates epilepsy in the Global South and currently has members from Africa, Latin America and the Mediterranean.

Researchers

Rugare Jacob Mugumbate, PhD Social Work, Lecturer, University of Wollongong, Australia; Council Member of Epilepsy Alliance Africa. Email: jmugumba@uow.edu.au

Najib Kissani, Professor of Neurology, Director of Neuroscience Research Laboratory of Marrakesh Medical School, Cadi Ayyad University; Marrakech; Neurology Department, University Hospital Mohamed VI, Marrakech; (Morocco). Email: na.kissani@uca.ma

Keryma Acevedo, MD, Assistant Professor, Unidad Neurología Pediátrica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Liga Chilena contra la Epilepsia. Chile. Email: kacevedo@uc.cl

Adam Janneh, Foundation for Epilepsy and Stigma Support (FESS-GAM), The Gambia. Email: adamjallowjanneh@hotmail.com

Lilia Núñez-Orozco, Professor of Neurology, Head of Neurology Department, National Medical Center, Mexico City. President of Group “Acceptation” of Epilepsy (GADEP), Mexican International Bureau for Epilepsy chapter. Email: nuol@prodigy.net.mx

Olave Aguirre, Mauricio, Clinical Speech and Language Specialist. Colombian Foundation Center for Epilepsy and Neurological Diseases (FIRE). Email: Mauro526@ymail.com

Eetedal Ahmed A. Ibrahim, Professor of Neurology, Dean College of Medicine, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Neurology Department Faculty of Medicine, AlNeelain University, Khartoum, Sudan. Email: eetedalibrahim@yahoo.com

Bankole Murtala Olusola, The Epilepsy Ambassadors Initiative, Nigeria, Email: bankyidris@gmail.com

Projects

  • The role of public epilepsy education
  • Epilepsy education in schools
  • Epilepsy knowledge among health and allied health workers
  • IGAP facilitators and barriers in the Global South

Publications

Epilepsy awareness days, weeks, and months: Their roles in the fight against epilepsy and the intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders
Epilepsy & Behavior 148 (2023) 109457

Mugumbate J. R., Kissani N., Acevedo, K., Mugumbate C., Janneh A., Lilia Núñez-Orozco L., Mauricio O. A. and Ibrahim E A. A. (2022). First Aid (FA) and First Guidance (FG) for epilepsy seizures: key considerations and recommendations for developing regions of the world. Journal of Social Issues in Non-Communicable Conditions & Disability, 1(1), 11-24. View PDF I View HTML

Use this link to participate in this research: survey link

Previous researches

Research on names for epilepsy

50+ NAMES FOR EPILEPSY IN AFRICA

Epilepsy is found in all communities of the world. It affects both males and females, black people and white people, children and adults, rich and poor, educated or not. Below are some names given to epilepsy in Africa, in alphabetical order. Please note that some of the names are no longer appropriate now because they label, devalue and stigmatise.

  1. Akwụkwụ na-adọ – Igbo – Nigeria
  2. Bolwetśi bja go wa – Northern Sotho – South Africa
  3. Botlhokuo gowa – Setswana – South Africa
  4. Khunyu – Nyanja – Zambia
  5. Chipumputu – Bemba – Zambia
  6. Chitutwane – Bemba – Zambia
  7. Chithu cha waka –  Tumbuka – Malawi
  8. Danu rap – Wolof – The Gambia – Possessed by evil spirit or fallen animal
  9. Motlotlwane – Setswana – Botswana
  10. Dikotlo – Setswana – Botswana
  11. Ensimbu – Luganda- Uganda
  12. Epilepsia – Portuguese – Mozambique & Angola – Mokn sickness (Mozambique), people believe when moon rises or falls, seizures increase
  13. Épilepsie – French
  14. Epilepsie – Afrikaans – South Africa
  15. Epilepsy – English
  16. Igicuri – Kinyarwanda – Rwanda – Working upside down abnormal brain  
  17. Isithuthwane – Zulu – South Africa
  18. Sokuwa – Zulu – South Africa
  19. Izithuthwane – Ndebele – Zimbabwe –
  20. Izifafa – Ndebele – Zimbabwe – A disease of fainting or dying
  21. Kasuntu -Tonga – Zambia
  22. Khunyu/Matenda okugwa/Chifufu – Chichewa – Malawi
  23. Kifafa – Katanga – DRC
  24. Kifafa- Swahili – Kenya & Tanzania
  25. Kifutu – Balubakat – DRC
  26. Kihona – Hona/Manono – DRC
  27. Kissinkiri – Moré – Burkina Faso
  28. Koukonbolo – Gourounsi Réo – Burkina Faso
  29. Krikrissien – Dioula /Bobo – Burkina Faso
  30. Kukuxhuzula – Isixhosa – South Africa
  31. Maladi ya denke – Bas – Congo/DRC
  32. Mavague ya weti – Xangana – Mozambique
  33. Ndulme – Luo – Kenya
  34. Njirijiri – Nyanja – Zambia
  35. Njirinjiri – CiSena – Mozambique
  36. Nthenda yakugua – Nyungue/Nyanja – Mozambique
  37. Zvipusha – Shona – Zimbabwe – Contagious disease
  38. Pfari – Shona – Zimbabwe – Jerking
  39. Nhuta – Shona – Zimbabwe – Shaking disease
  40. Tsviyo – Shona – Zimbabwe – Whistling disease
  41. Kudonha – Shona – Zimbabwe – Falling disease
  42. Kufaifa/Zvifaifa – Shona – Zimbabwe – A disease of dying/fainting
  43. Sethwathwa – South Sotho/Sesotho – South Africa
  44. Sifo sekuwa – Swaziland
  45. Wa’ah – Yemba – Cameroon
  46. Warapa – Yoruba – Nigeria
  47. Wayoo – Mandinka – The Gambia
  48. Yemīt’ili/ የሚጥል – Amharic – Ethiopia
  49. Msetti– Morocco – Crazy
  50. Maskoune/Fihleriah – Morocco – Obsessed by an evil spirit
  51. صرع – Morocco
  52. مرض كهربائية الدماغ – Arabic – Brain electrical shock
  53. الصرع سابقا – Arabic – Brain electrical shock

Posters – names for epilepsy in Africa

NAMES-GIVEN-TO-EPILEPSY-LIST-2022Download
NAMES-GIVEN-TO-EPILEPSY-ChartDownload