New Survey Reveals Filipino Emergency Medical Professionals Often Overlook Life-Threatening Brain Condition

The disregard for encephalitis despite symptoms, coupled with low confidence in recognizing the condition, underscores the urgent need for medical training.

A new survey commissioned by Encephalitis International, the peak global body for encephalitis, reveals that Filipino emergency medical professionals often overlook encephalitis, a life-threatening neurological condition characterized by brain inflammation, despite the presence of common symptoms. Survey results showed that over half (54%) of local respondents did not consider infectious encephalitis, and three-quarters (74%) did not consider autoimmune encephalitis as a diagnosis when presented with a list of accepted symptoms for each condition. The survey findings are released in line with World Encephalitis Day on February 22, 2024.

Encephalitis Patients Are At A High Risk Of Suicide And Self-Harm

New research released for World Encephalitis Day, 22 February 2023

Suicidality can be a serious manifestation of encephalitis

37.5% of survivors of Encephalitis reported they had thought about or attempted (4.4%) suicide 

12.5% of patients had suicidal behaviours during early stages of the illness with nearly half (5.83%) carrying out a suicide attempt.

Encephalitis affects one person every minute globally, yet 77% of people do not know what it is

In many countries Encephalitis has a higher incidence than motor neurone disease, bacterial meningitis & multiple sclerosis