A health official in northern Uganda has raised alarm over a rise in epilepsy cases among adults, linking the trend to heavy alcohol consumption.
Records from Kitgum General Hospital’s mental health unit show the district has registered more than 2,600 epilepsy cases. While childhood illnesses such as severe malaria and untreated febrile convulsions remain common triggers, clinicians say new patterns are emerging among adults.
Michael Okech, a psychiatric clinical officer at the hospital, warned that binge drinking of potent local brews and spirits is now a major risk factor, especially for men in their 30s and 40s.
“Alcohol isn’t just triggering seizures, it’s also driving psychosis and a range of other mental illnesses. The community needs to take this problem very seriously,” Okech said.
Chronic alcohol use can damage the brain, disrupt electrolyte balance, and interfere with anti-seizure medications, experts note, raising the risk of recurrent seizures. The situation is compounded by limited mental health services and persistent stigma around both alcoholism and epilepsy.
Okech urged community education campaigns and stronger alcohol control measures to curb preventable cases and encourage early treatment. He said the psychiatric ward admits at least 20 people a month for alcohol- or drug-related conditions, with substance abuse accounting for about 90% of mental health cases in Kitgum.
A 2018 Epilepsy Ontario report supports the concern, showing that people who consume 200 grams or more of alcohol daily face a 15- to 20-fold higher risk of seizures. Abrupt withdrawal can also triple the likelihood of developing epilepsy.
