Bridging the gaps in the setup of a functional epilepsy monitoring unit in Uganda to support epilepsy surgery

As many as 80 million people in the world have epilepsy. Those living in the developing world are disproportionately affected. Approximately 770,000 people in Uganda are affected by epilepsy. Drug-resistant epilepsy affects approximately 30%-40% of patients with epilepsy, and one-third of these patients may be eligible for surgical management. This article describes the formation of an epilepsy monitoring unit in Uganda as the first step toward establishing a surgical epilepsy program for pediatric patients. A hybrid remote and in-person collaborative model was developed between teams in Mbale and Kampala in Uganda and Chicago in the US. The authors describe a process that spanned 2 years (2021-2023) for developing readiness for referrals for pediatric epilepsy surgery candidates in Uganda.