Summary

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder in which seizures are caused by a disruption of the electrical activity in the brain. An epilepsy diagnosis does not refer to a singular condition, but rather represents a diverse range of disorders involving many seizure types (Epilepsy Australia 2021). It is one of the most common and disabling neurological conditions. The prevalence of epilepsy is predicted to increase over the coming years as people more frequently survive traumatic causes of the condition, such as stroke and injury (WHO 2019).

This web report provides an overview of epilepsy in Australia, including disease prevalence, burden, treatment access, hospitalisations and deaths as well as sociodemographic breakdowns.