Epilepsy care in Mongolia: Current problems and future prospects

Current problems of epilepsy care in Mongolia consist of shortage of health care personnel, limited diagnostic facilities, insuffi cient supply of the antiepileptic drugs, and diffi culty in access to medical services. There is also lack of epilepsy knowledge among the professionals, patients, families as well as the public. There are many patients with epilepsy caused by preventable head trauma. Several initiatives to improve epilepsy care took place in Mongolia in recent years, including educational seminars for physicians in corporation with international organizations, workshops for professionals, patients and families, and training of Mongolian physicians overseas. Although epilepsy care in Mongolia has been improving steadily in the recent years, continuing international cooperation will further improve the quality of care. Neurology Asia 2010; 15(3) : 263 – 266 Address correspondence to: Dr Yasumichi Koide, National Epilepsy Center, Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Urushiyama 886, Aoiku, Shizuoka, 420-8688, Japan. Tel.:(054) 245-5446, Fax: (054) 247-9781, E-mail: [email protected] INTRODUCTION AND CAUSES OF