National Epilepsy Centre (NEC) and Epilepsy Support Pakistan (ESP), are the fundamental constituents of Comprehensive Epilepsy Control Programme of Pakistan (CECP), a high-impact, holistic epilepsy management and public awareness initiative in Pakistan launched by Neurology Research and Patient Welfare Fund Pakistan (NRPWF), a tax-exempted, Pakistan Centre of Philanthropy certified and Shariah compliant non-governmental organization, founded by late Prof. Operating as the sole designated epilepsy centre in Pakistan, NEC offers all-inclusive management to a large patient base of approximately 2.2 million people with epilepsy, with a special focus on the disadvantaged sections of the society. Since its establishment in 2007, NEC has provided relief to thousands of people with epilepsy, with a seizure-free rate of about 60% amongst the treated individuals through regular medications. To date NEC has 11,200 plus registered patients with a monthly turnover of 1,500-1800 individuals for follow up. All patients are seen by neurologists with special interest in epilepsy and the poor and deserving ones (95%) are provided 30 days anti-seizure medicines at a token all-inclusive cost of PKR 250/-. NEC has the largest repository of EEGs in the country. Around 19,200 EEGs, all with video recordings have been performed strictly following international standards of recording and reported by a trained honorary epileptologist. NEC with ESP carries out awareness campaigns targeted at bridging the epilepsy treatment gap by increasing awareness of the treatability of the disorder and addressing societal misconceptions and unfounded stigmas attached to it, thus enhancing the quality of life for individuals with epilepsy. The in-tandem working of NEC and ESP has brought very positive outcome and has received recognition and appreciation from International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE).
