Local health workers may hold key to treating epilepsy in african children

NCT ID NCT04290975

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Vanderbilt University Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether training community health workers to manage childhood epilepsy can help the many children in Africa who go untreated. Over 1,600 children in Nigeria received either care from trained health workers or standard doctor care. The goal was to see if the community-based approach could achieve similar seizure control, potentially offering a way to reach more children in low-resource settings.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Task-shifted epilepsy care by community health workers
What this could lead to: If successful, this could show that training local health workers to manage epilepsy is a practical way to treat many more children in low-resource areas.
What could go wrong: This is a completed trial, but results may not apply to other regions or health systems. The approach relies on consistent training and medication supply, which may be challenging to maintain.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

epilepsy

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

EPILEPSY

Contacts and locations

Locations

Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital

Zaria, Nigeria
Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital

Kano, Nigeria
Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital

Kaduna, Nigeria

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