Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion moved by the member for Shortland. Approximately one in 120 people have epilepsy and approximately 17,000 people in Western Australia suffer from epilepsy. Anyone can be affected by seizures at any age but epilepsy is most frequently diagnosed in infancy, childhood, adolescence and old age. Epilepsy is more than three times as common as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and cerebral palsy. Epilepsy is a condition of the brain and is not a mental illness.

It is commonly thought that epilepsy always involves convulsions or grand mal seizures. In fact, there are around 40 different types of seizures. Many people outgrow or have a long-term remission from seizures. Epilepsy is not necessarily a lifelong disorder, but it can have profound social, physical and psychological consequences. People who have epilepsy continually face social stigma and exclusion. A fundamental part of reducing the stigma is raising public and professional awareness. There is the Epilepsy Association of Western Australia, which has been in operation since 1963 and is run by a committee of volunteers. It aims to raise the profile of epilepsy in the community, act as an advocate for persons with epilepsy and their families, provide education to those living with epilepsy, provide education to the community, provide support services to those touched by epilepsy and improve the quality of life of persons with epilepsy to enable them to integrate successfully in the community and enjoy a full and productive lifestyle.

The Epilepsy Association of Western Australia is able to provide support services to people living with epilepsy due to the generous continued support of many donors. Whether it is through donations, regular giving, support by the WA Lotteries Commission, people leaving a bequest in their will, workplace giving or marathon running, the public support assists the Epilepsy Association to continue to provide these much-needed services. Of course, the Epilepsy Association has had to be continually creative and innovative in thinking up ways to make it easy for the public to donate, and it has partnered with projects such as Everyday Hero and ‘action partner’ to make donating more convenient for loyal supporters to ensure continued health for people living with epilepsy and their families.

Even though there have been significant dollars contributed to this in the past, there is always a need for more. In fact, the Australian government, through the National Health and Medical Research Council, provided $8.3 million in funding. Professor Peter Gage and his team from Canberra’s Australian National University received $400,000 to undertake research that aimed to better understand the function of anti-epileptic drugs, anaesthetics and tranquillisers, which act by modulating specific protein receptors in the brain. Building on his earlier research, Professor Gage’s project studied mutations in receptors found to be associated with some forms of epilepsy. Professor Gage and his team believe that, if the properties and actions of anaesthetics, tranquillisers and anti-epileptic drugs are better understood, it is possible that new, more selective drugs could be discovered.

There is a strong need for these types of drugs, with the potential annual market estimated to be worth over $2.7 billion. This seriously equates to a genuine need in the community for all forms of resources to be devoted to this particular condition. Anybody who has lived with, worked with or been affected by those who have epilepsy could only support a greater level of funding for all forms of research and for that which assists people to integrate with their local communities and families.

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