Epilepsy is still a much maligned disease especially in developing countries. As many as 80 percent of the 40 million people around the world with epilepsy are untreated due to the social stigma attached with the disease. India has one-eighth of the world's epileptics. With a population of over 980 million, and the prevalence of epilepsy at an accepted 5.5 per 1000, India has around 5.4 million patients with epilepsy. Of these, a sizeable chunk lives in the rural areas, which means that they have access to medical facilities even less than those living in the cities. Studies have found that the lack of treatment is not so much a result of lack of facilities as lack of awareness. In a recently held meeting on 'Epilepsy: A public health priority in Asian and Oceanian regions', issues regarding the relative ignorance about the disease and its treatment were discussed by the top campaigners for epilepsy. These included officials from WHO (World Health Organisation), ILAE (International League Against Epilepsy) and IBE (International Bureau for Epilepsy). The meeting called for an improvement in the level of professional education and clinical practice for epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder caused due to malfunctioning of the electrical impulses in the brain. As a result of this imbalance, fits or seizures may occur in affected individuals. It is an eminently controllable condition and its disabling effects can be easily overcome with proper care and medication.