02272nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001653001300042653001100055653002300066653001300089653001900102653001400121100001800135700001900153700001400172700001300186700001300199700001300212700001700225700001500242700001600257245010700273300001000380490000700390520157100397022001401968       2018                            d10aEpilepsy10aStigma10aSub-Saharan Africa10aSeizures10aMisconceptions10aAttitudes1 aKaddumukasa M1 aKaddumukasa MN1 aBuwembo W1 aMunabi I1 aBlixen C1 aLhatoo S1 aSewankambo N1 aKatabira E1 aSajatovic M00aEpilepsy misconceptions and stigma reduction interventions in sub-Saharan Africa, a systematic review.  a21-270 v853 a<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong>This systematic review identified papers that described epilepsy misconceptions or stigma in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and research interventions focused on reducing these misconceptions.</p>

<p><strong>MATERIALS AND METHODS: </strong>Publications in the English language from January 2000 to October 2017 that described original research conducted in SSA on misconceptions about epilepsy were utilized.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Twenty-three publications were identified. Studies were from Nigeria (N = 4), Cameroon (N = 4), Uganda (N = 3), Zambia (N = 2), Ethiopia (N = 2), Tanzania (N = 2), Kenya (N = 2), Ghana, Zimbabwe, Benin, and Mali (N = 1 each). The studies included assessments of misconceptions among healthcare providers and medical students (N = 3), high school students (N = 2), teachers (N = 2), the general public (N = 10), people with epilepsy (N = 7), and traditional healers (N = 1). Only two studies had stigma-focused interventions. Majority of the studies reported limitations to socialization with people with epilepsy and various beliefs associated with epilepsy.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>Epilepsy misconceptions, stigmatizing cultural beliefs, and perceptions were widely prevalent in SSA, and there are a few studies targeting epilepsy stigma. Existing stigma-reduction educational approaches may be impractical for general population implementation. Scalable approaches to reduce stigma are urgently needed within SSA.</p>
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