A recent study on the epilepsy trends in the region reveals an escalating prevalence, death and disability rates of the disease in Turkmenistan. The study highlights an urgent need for data from registries and monitoring studies to get a true picture of the disease’s impact.
A chronic neurological disorder, epilepsy is a non-contagious brain condition that impacts an estimated 50 million individuals worldwide. It is defined by brief events of involuntary movement that can be localized (partial) or affect the whole body (generalized). These seizures may also be accompanied by a loss of consciousness and control over bodily functions.
Although up to 70% of people living with epilepsy could become seizure-free with appropriate medicine, these medicines are not widely available in many low and middle-income countries.
Epilepsy in Central Asia
Turkmenistan does not publish data on epilepsy incidents or treatment and mortality rates in the country. There has been only one major study conducted on epilepsy in Central Asia published in the European Journal of Epilepsy in July 2025. The study derived data from the Global Burden of Diseases database and identified trends in incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years associated with idiopathic epilepsy from 1990–2021 in 9 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia.
Prevalence: Between 1990 and 2021, most of the 9 countries studied show stable trends while Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia experienced a drop with Turkmenistan and Mongolia being the only two countries with increased number of incidents. The burden of the disease is heavier among male populations in most countries. Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan show the highest prevalence among those under 20 while in other countries populations over 65 years suffer the most.
Incidence: In 2021, Uzbekistan had the highest rate of new cases, while Armenia had the lowest. Overall, the trend for new cases is decreasing across all Central Asian countries, with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan showing the most significant drops. Over the past three decades, the highest number of new cases has been in people under 20, while the lowest has been in those over 70. The rate of new cases is also slightly higher for men than for women.
Mortality: The death rate in 2021 was highest in Tajikistan and lowest in Armenia. From 1990 to 2021, mortality decreased in most countries, with Mongolia seeing the largest improvement. However, death rates actually increased in Georgia and Turkmenistan. Mortality tends to be highest in younger adults, specifically those between 20 and 50 years old, and the rate is higher for men than for women.
Disability adjusted life years: Between 1990 and 2021, the overall impact of the disease (measured in DALYs) lessened in all countries studied except for Turkmenistan, where it grew worse. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan faced the highest burden, while Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan had the lowest. The disease’s impact is heaviest on younger age groups, and the male population is more significantly affected than the female population.
Conclusion
According to the study, the diversity of healthcare systems in Central Asia is a direct result of the collapse of their centralized, Soviet style health model. The subsequent period of restructuring and budget limitations led to very different outcomes, which may explain the varied epilepsy statistics across these historically similar nations.
For example, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan partnered with international donors for significant reforms, and Kazakhstan used its oil wealth for modernization. In contrast, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan maintained rigid, state-dominated systems, which led to weaker health outcomes. This suggests that political and socio-demographic factors are the root cause of these differences.
However, a lack of primary national data makes it difficult to compare with global estimates. While the burden of epilepsy in the region is generally decreasing, the well-being of patients still depends on social factors and a well-organized healthcare system. This highlights an urgent need for locally generated data from registries and monitoring studies to get a true picture of the disease’s impact.
