Episode 16 - Breaking the Silence: Education, Health Literacy and the Fight Against Stigma

In this episode, host Sam Pauly explores the role of education, health literacy, and stigma in shaping experiences of neurological conditions. Genein Letford discusses how early education can support brain development and why the arts can be an effective tool for fostering understanding of neurological health.

Abraham Ntshalintshali and Mary Secco join a roundtable discussion on epilepsy-related stigma, sharing insights from community-level initiatives, including work in Eswatini to train police officers and improve legal outcomes for people with epilepsy. They also reflect on how stigma manifests in different cultural contexts and the need to involve people with lived experience in advocacy and policy.

The episode also features two personal accounts: Ameena Aimen shares her experience of navigating diagnosis and stigma as a medical student in Pakistan, while Laura Molinari reflects on how health literacy helped her manage life with MS at work and in daily life. Finally, Abdelfatah Ibrahim from the MS International Federation explains why improving health literacy is essential to achieving better outcomes and more equitable care for people with neurological conditions.