gms | German Medical Science

A total of 302 children with epilepsy, 608 with cerebral palsy and 32 with muscular dystrophy are seen in the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital Gambia. EFSTH is the only tertiary hospital in Gambia with a population of 2,841,803. Seventy percent, 27% and 3% respectively of those being managed for epilepsy have generalized onset, focal onset epilepsy and unclassified seizures. 80% of those diagnosed of epilepsy have a perfect control with use of antiepileptic drugs. Twenty two percent of all epileptics have been allocated to the syndrome type enabling prognostication of disease. For those with cerebral palsy 50% of the 608 are above 5 years of age. For those above 5 years 20% of them cannot ambulate. The shortage of physiotherapists and physiotherapy centers along with other supportive specialties have contributed to our poor outcome in Gambia. Those with muscular dystrophy have had their disease slowed with medication but more cutting-edge medical trial/treatments are needed to reverse the trend. Three with Duchenne’s muscle dystrophy are already wheelchair-bound and all are below 15 years.