Semi-final platform raises epilepsy awareness

UEFA's social heart will be beating at this month's UEFA European Under-21 Championship final round in Sweden. The semi-finals on 26 June, in Helsingborg and Gothenburg, provide an ideal opportunity to raise awareness of epilepsy.

Semi-final curtain-raiser
As a curtain-raiser to the two semi-final matches, games will be played between teams from the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). The event follows on from the successful social responsibility programme at last year's UEFA EURO 2008™ tournament in Austria and Switzerland in which football for blind, Special Olympics and paralympic players was promoted, alongside football for people with cerebral palsy.

Raising awareness
The objective is to raise awareness of epilepsy and its implications. UEFA and the ILAE are co-organising the event, with the active participation of the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE). It will consist of two short football matches played by teams of athletes with epilepsy from all over Europe, and the teams will also include some top-level former professional footballers, who generously agreed to come to Gothenburg and Helsingborg to support our cause.

Serious condition
Epileptic seizures are a symptom of a large variety of diseases with different outcomes. Epilepsy is the commonest serious neurological condition, affecting six million people across Europe. Indeed, up to 40 million Europeans will have one or more seizures at some point during their lives. Epilepsy can be treated and often cured. However, social stigma and discrimination are still an issue and epilepsy can have profound physical, psychological and social consequences.

Key messages
The ILAE is a professional organisation made up of doctors, scientists and other health workers who are committed to improving the lives of people with epilepsy and to advancing our knowledge of the condition. The ILAE in partnership with the IBE has helped to identify medical and financial resources available for epilepsy care by geographic region, determine areas where there are gaps in treatment, raise awareness and reduce social barriers. In 2009, the ILAE celebrates its 100th anniversary and has established partnerships with other organisations to communicate to the public key messages about epilepsy and the role of people with epilepsy in society.

Football's role
As European football has become a massively popular social activity, UEFA recognises the need to strengthen the positive role football plays in society by addressing themes that influence, and are influenced by, the sport. For that purpose, UEFA has established a Corporate Social Responsibility Unit that works with a wide range of external partners, using their expertise to promote respect for the game, respect for diversity and respect for the environment.

Improving knowledge
It is hoped that this latest initiative at the U21 tournament will contribute to improving knowledge about epilepsy and, most importantly, emphasise that people with epilepsy are entitled and able to live a life that meets their expectations and to engage fully in social and professional activities.

More information about the ILAE and IBE can be found at www.ilae-epilepsy.org.