UniCredit supports International Epilepsy Day
Monday 14 February 2022
Tonight, on 14 February, the spire of UniCredit Tower lights up in purple to promote awareness of epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder that affects around 50 million people in more than 130 countries in the world.
Each year, on the second Monday of February, International Epilepsy Day spreads global awareness of a chronic neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide.
UniCredit wants to shed light on this invisible condition, and for this reason, the Bank will light the spire of its headquarters in Milan the colour purple, in support of the global campaign.
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, along with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. It is recognized as a social disease by the World Health Organization (WHO), with an increasing incidence in childhood and old age. The colour purple, chosen for the occasion by the international awareness campaign, traditionally evokes the therapeutic capabilities of lavender for the treatment of the disease.
Events such as the International Epilepsy Day are useful precisely because, together, we can make more "noise" and give a voice to the patients who fight this battle every day and all those affected by the neurological disorder.
In many cases, epilepsy is associated with other neurological disorders with negative consequences on the quality of life of the affected person. In Italy, almost 1 patient out of 2 (44%) is denied employment due to renunciation, insecurity or exclusion. In this sense, some forms of epilepsy can be described as an invisible disability.
To address this specific issue, our Group is increasingly committed to raising awareness of invisible forms of disability, as evidenced by the launch of the "Make the invisible visible" project, a training program available in the 14 languages spoken in our countries, which aims to provide practical guidance and advice to managers, teams and colleagues with chronic conditions and disabilities, so that everyone can contribute to creating a truly inclusive workplace.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, patients with epilepsy experienced difficulties in obtaining drug therapy, following scheduled follow-up visits, and performing instrumental tests important for diagnostic definition.
Moreover, with the progress of confinement measures, an increase in psychological problems has been noted in several studies, especially on the side of anxiety and depression in people with epilepsy. Evidence shows how it is essential to intercept early signs of development of psychiatric disorders in this particular population.
One more reason to demonstrate today, and not only, our closeness to those who live this condition, knowing that talking about epilepsy and further spreading awareness about the condition is the first step in addressing the problem.