CareEpilepsy Ethiopia
Organization Details
CareEpilepsy Ethiopia works with people with disabilities, with a dedicated focus on epilepsy, a neurological condition that can lead to significant and long-term disability. It is one of the most complex, misunderstood, and most neglected disabilities in Ethiopia. For a small number of people, epilepsy is a standalone disability, but for the vast majority, it coexists with other disabilities, including developmental and physical impairments.Our mission is to improve the lives of people with disabilities, particularly those affected by epilepsy (PWDE), through holistic, rights-based, and person-centered approaches and community-driven care.CareEpilepsy Ethiopia is a registered CSO (Reg. #CE‑2018‑045), founded in 2018 to integrate epilepsy care into primary health systems.
Impact Story
CareEpilepsy Ethiopia exists to ensure that people living with epilepsy are no longer invisible, neglected, or misunderstood. In Ethiopia, epilepsy is heavily stigmatized, often seen as a curse or moral failure rather than a medical condition. As a result, millions go undiagnosed, untreated, and excluded from education, employment, and social life. Our approach is holistic and grounded in lived experience, spanning five key pillars of impact:
- Clinical Care & Diagnostics – We provide direct care, telemedicine, home monitoring, and access to medication, especially for underserved communities.
- Awareness & Stigma Reduction – We run public campaigns in schools, media, and community spaces to challenge myths and promote inclusion.
- Psychosocial Support – Through counselling, peer support, and creative therapies, we help individuals and families cope with the emotional and social impacts of epilepsy.
- Health Worker Training – We train nurses, GPs, and health extension workers to diagnose and manage epilepsy at the primary care level, closing the treatment gap.
- Advocacy & Systems Change – We work with government and civil society to integrate epilepsy into national health and disability policies, ensuring long-term inclusion.
Our work reaches people who were once isolated and afraid—children returning to school, women seeking justice, families finally receiving answers. From the village clinic to the policy table, we are creating a future where epilepsy is no longer a life sentence of silence and shame, but a condition that can be treated, understood, and lived with.
Diverse Social Enterprise
The TRANSFORM Support Hub is committed to accelerating diverse owned and led enterprises to build more equitable and resilient supply chains.