Chapter Name: Epilepsy Special Interest Group of Myanmar
Report By: Nyan Tun

Publications:

• Poster presentation on ketogneic therapies for neurological disorder by Paediatric neurology team at 6th global symposium in October 2018
• Initiation of ketogenic diet service in Myanmar and challenges by Chaw Su Hlaing
• Knowledge and attitude towards ketogenic diet among Myanmar pediatric trainees by Aye Mya Min Aye
• Three children with drug resistant epilepsy for the first ketogenic diet in Myanmar by Hnin Wint Wint Aung

Summary of Activities:

• Chapter meetings twice a year and annual meeting in December
• CME activities in Yangon, Mandalay and other townships 2-3 times a year respectively
• Provide technical assistance and participate in the activities of Myanmar Epilepsy Initiative (MEI Project)
Activities (2017) in MEI Project
• HE talks for raising community awareness about Epilepsy in Nyanung Lebin and Pantanaw Townships
• Training (2 new townships) and refresher (old 5 townships) for Medical Officers (MOs), General Practitioners (GPs), Basic Health Staff (BHS) and Voluntary Health Workers (VHW)
• Epilepsy ToTS for future trainers, Yangon
Activities (2018) in Myanmar Epilepsy Initiative (Project)
• International Epilepsy Day: Mawlamyine, Mon State (February 2018)
• Purple Day: to promote epilepsy awareness, in March 2018, at Yangon Children’s Hospital
• Epilepsy ToTS for future trainers of State/Region, in Yangon and ToTS for MO trainers and BHS trainers from new scaling up 8 townships in Mawlamyine, Mon State
• Supervise in Epilepsy training for Health care providers (HCP) of new scaling up 8 townships
Activities of Paediatric team
• Managing epilepsy children in Outreach Neurologic clinics at Insein general hospital, Yankin Children Hospital and Kyike Wine School for children with special needs in Yangon every month and in 4 other cities: Bago, Pathein, Mawlamyaing ,Magway civil hospitals every 3 months yearly
• International Pediatric Epilepsy Training (iPET) courses in Yangon, Mandalay and Magway under collaboration with British Pediatric Neurology Association (BPNA)
• With the collaboration between Myanmar pediatric neurologists and Korean Epilepsy Society (KES), the first Paediatric Epilepsy and Ketogenic diet workshop was held at Yangon Children Hospital in March 2018.
• Develop Ketogenic center of Myanmar at Yangon Children hospital in late 2018

Challenges:

• To promote public awareness on Epilepsy
• To provide community-based approach Epilepsy treatment services at primary health care
• To reduce treatment gap and promote Quality of Life among people with epilepsy

Future Plans:

• The International Epilepsy Day will be held in Kayin State.
• To launch new scaling-up MEI programme in all respective townships of Kayin and Kayah States simultaneously

Officer Election Date: tentatively in third week of December 2019