[Epidemiological and socio-economic support patients living with epilepsy in Dakar, Senegal]

Epilepsy remains a major public health problem especially in developing countries where access to new therapies remains limited.

The aim of this work was to study the socio-demographic profile of patients living with epilepsy in Dakar and supported.

We conducted a cross-sectional study over a period of eight months from November 2009 to June 2010 at Fann University Hospital and Health Center Pikine through research on adherence.

The study involved patients living with epilepsy aged over 15 years, diagnosed clinically with epilepsy and/or confirmed by an electroencephalogram and put under antiepileptic drug for more than 3 months. We recruited 411 patients aged 15-74 years with a mean age of 28.93 years. The age range was 15-24 years with 44.6 % majority. The male sex predominated with 52.3 % and the sex ratio was 1.09. Singles outnumbered with 64.7 %. The level of education was the most representative secondary with 29.4 % and patients without profession were 35.5 %. Most of the patients was from semi-urban areas with 47.7 %. Generalized seizures were more frequent with about 70 %. Most of the patients was supported either by their family or by themselves.

The management should be multisectoral for epilepsy out of darkness.