Climate change
Epilepsy Society is calling for human health to be higher up the climate change agenda, as scientists report the true cost of global warming on neurological conditions including epilepsy.
Evidence is already suggesting a link between increased temperatures and some aspects of neurological conditions, such as seizures.
Read the latest updates on our work around climate change.
Sign up to Rare and hot: climate change and rare diseases
"As doctors, we have a responsibility to ensure that our practices do not negatively impact on those in our care. More research is needed, but the effects of climate change on people with severe epilepsy are already becoming apparent."
People with some severe epilepsies such as Dravet syndrome have reported an increase in seizures during the unusually hot summers of recent years. And in our survey of more than 1,000 people with epilepsy, 62 per cent of those whose seizures were uncontrolled, said that they saw an increase in seizure frequency or severity.
We believe it is important to address the cost of climate change to human health as a matter of urgency. We believe this to be particularly so in the field of epilepsy.
Epilepsy Climate Change (EpiCC)
Epilepsy Climate Change (EpiCC) is a virtual global initiative for healthcare professionals to foster research, share knowledge, disseminate information and promote practices that reduce contributions to climate change and help mitigate its effects for people with epilepsy.
Latest updates
Heat alert – how to stay cool
A heat-health alert has been issued for parts of England for this weekend, with temperatures predicted to reach 30C/86F in London, the Midlands and eastern and southern England.
#TheEnvironMentalIssue at COP26
During COP26, we launched EpiCC’s #TheEnvironMentalIssue, a living newspaper made from algae issued in partnership with The Herald (Scotland’s broadsheet newspaper). The issue was voted best campaign at the UN summit by PR Week UK.
Could better building design help to reduce seizures?
Scientists at the Epilepsy Society are already looking at how climate change is affecting people with severe epilepsy. But now they are also trying to find out how a fluctuation in temperature inside the charity's residential care homes could also impact seizures.
Climate change and epilepsy: MP calls for funding
The Epilepsy Society were delighted that our local MP, Sarah Green, chose to mention the effects of climate change on people with epilepsy in her first ever question to the Prime Minister.
Green is the new purple
We feel passionately that human health should be higher on the climate change agenda. So as world leaders gather in Glasgow for COP26, we are taking the bold decision to turn our much-loved purple branding green.
How virtual epilepsy clinics could help save the planet
Did you know that seeing your doctor via a virtual clinic, rather than face-to-face, may be better for your health than you might have imagined? And, certainly better for the health of the planet.
Seizures and hot summers
Thank you to everyone who took part in our recent surveys looking at the impact of excessively high temperatures on seizures. These have provided us with some invaluable insight into the link between the two and will help to influence our work as we experience increasingly hot summers.