Challenges to epilepsy management in Rwandan women living with epilepsy.

Background And Purpose: In Rwanda, epilepsy prevalence ranges between 29‰ and 49‰. Many women living with epilepsy (WwE) are of childbearing age. Epilepsy characteristics and management, contraception, pregnancy, puerperium and stigma in WwE presenting at the neurology clinic of Ndera, Rwanda, were investigated.

Epilepsy-Related Direct Medical and Direct Non-Medical Cost in Adult Patients Living with Epilepsy at a Tertiary Neurology Center in Rwanda.

Objective: Up to one in four patients living with epilepsy (PwE) mentions financial constraints as a reason for loss to follow-up at the Ndera tertiary neuropsychiatry hospital. Therefore, we evaluated the annual direct medical cost (DMC) and direct non-medical cost (DnMC) of epilepsy and calculated costs assuming different follow-up frequency.

Materials And Methods: DMC data were obtained from a descriptive retrospective study of medical records, pharmacy dispensation and hospital logs of PwE, following their initial consultation in 2018 and who adhered to the normal clinical practice of monthly consultations for one year.

Association of depression and epilepsy in Rwanda: A prospective longitudinal study.

Introduction: Depression is the most common psychiatric comorbidity for persons living with epilepsy. In Rwanda, the prevalence of epilepsy and depression are high, with 4,9% and 13.0% respectively.

Effectiveness of community health workers on identification and mobilization of persons living with epilepsy in rural Rwanda using a validated screening tool.

Introduction: Engagement and training of community health workers (CHWs) have demonstrated their value in different conditions. Despite repeat epilepsy trainings of CHWs in Northern Rwanda, the treatment gap remained high. We hypothesized that effectiveness of CHWs on mobilization of patients living with epilepsy (PwE) could be improved using a validated tool for epilepsy screening.

Long-Term Impact of Single Epilepsy Training on Knowledge, Attitude and Practices: Comparison of Trained and Untrained Rwandan Community Health Workers.

To close the epilepsy treatment gap and reduce related stigma, eradication of misconceptions is importantIn 2014, Community Health Workers (CHWs) from Musanze (Northern Rwanda) were trained on different aspects of epilepsy. This study compared knowledge, attitude and practices (KAPs) towards epilepsy of trained CHWs 3 years after training, to untrained CHWs from Rwamagana (Eastern Rwanda). An epilepsy KAP questionnaire was administered to 96 trained and 103 untrained CHWs.

High prevalence of epilepsy in Northern Rwanda: Exploring gender differences.

Introduction: In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the prevalence of lifetime epilepsy varies widely between subregions and is higher in rural compared to urban regions. Observed versus expected numbers of patients with epilepsy (PwE) in the northern province of Rwanda did not match the prevalence of 49‰ reported in 2005 in Rwanda. We report a confirmatory prevalence study focused on gender-specific observations.

Mortality of all causes and sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in a cohort of 235 persons living with epilepsy in Rwanda using WHO Verbal Autopsy Questionnaire.

Introduction: Mortality in persons living with epilepsy (PwE) is 1.6-9.3-fold higher than in the general population.

Validity, reliability and cut-offs of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as a screening tool for depression among patients living with epilepsy in Rwanda.

Background: Patients with epilepsy (PwE) have an increased risk of active and lifetime depression. Two in 10 patients experience depression. Lack of trained psychiatric staff in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) creates a need for screening tools that enable detection of depression in PwE.