There are a lot of misconceptions about epilepsy in Nepal. Some Nepalese believe that people suffering from epilepsy have been touched by evil spirits (Jungali) and that they are contagious. Because of this, people with epilepsy are often ostracised.
To inform people about what epilepsy is and isn’t, Dr. Sandip Shah, Dr. Sarun Koirala, Dr. Bhawesh Koirala, Dr. Laxman Khanal and Bharat Kc from the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences produced a video that was shown at schools in Nepal. The video was funded by a Global Advocacy Seed Grant.
In the video (in Nepalese with English subtitles), viewers follow a young girl who has an epilepsy attack. Her family thinks that she is a Jungali so they decide to take her to a witch doctor to drive out the evil spirits. Eventually, they are persuaded to visit a real doctor who explains that she simply has epilepsy, a disease with a physiological basis and medicines that can help treat the patient. The video informs the public and policymakers what epilepsy is, how to recognise it and what one should do in case of an attack.