Women In Government Actions
On January 5-6, 2008, Women In Government held an Epilepsy Training Session in Phoenix, Arizona. The 2008 “Impact of Epilepsy Care on the States & the Patient” Legislative Training Session featured world-renowned expert speakers, representatives of The Epilepsy Foundation, patient advocates, 20 women state legislators and Women In Government staff.
The two-day meeting enabled bipartisan roundtable discussion on state policy regarding epilepsy and current stakeholders in epilepsy issues. Presentations framed important discussions on:
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Epilepsy diagnosis and prevalence;
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Building state policy initiatives around epilepsy;
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Perspectives from the field: experiences of the 2007 legislative session and a personal look at epilepsy;
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Policy issues: including access to medication and transportation; and
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Opportunities for partnerships.
Background
Epilepsy, also known as seizure disorder, is a medical condition that produces seizures affecting mental and physical functions. Seizures can be recognized by a variety of symptoms that may include convulsions, loss of consciousness, jerking movements of arms and legs, lip smacking and blank staring. They last anywhere between a few seconds to a few minutes, and occur when a short and powerful surge of electrical activity affects the brain.
There are 200,000 new cases of epilepsy diagnosed each year, with the highest rates of incidence occurring among people under the age of two or over the age of 65, among African Americans, and within socially disadvantaged communities. In the majority of new diagnoses, there is no obvious cause.
More than three million Americans are affected by epilepsy and seizures at an estimated annual cost of $12.5 billion in direct and indirect costs. While the basic risk of developing epilepsy is about one percent for the average American, ten percent of the population will experience at least one seizure during their lifetime.
Source: The Epilepsy Foundation
Resources on Patient Protection
Resources on Access to Epilepsy Medications in Schools
Resources on Epilepsy & Driving Laws
Additional Informational Resources
