Dear Colleagues,
The International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE), the International Child Neurology Association (ICNA), the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) hosted a webinar on 28 May 2022 to discuss the outcomes of the 75th World Health Assembly and to reaffirm their commitment to continue to work together to achieve all ten of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (IGAP) targets.
Speakers:
Dr. Devora Kestel – Director, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization
Prof J. Helen Cross – President, International League Against Epilepsy
Prof. Jo Wilmshurst – President, International Child Neurology Association
Prof. Wolfgang Grisold – President, World Federation of Neurology
Dr. Francesca Sofia – President, International Bureau for Epilepsy
Moderators: Action Amos (Malawi) and Valentina Kahn (Chile).
.Resolution WHA 73.10 for the Development of an Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders. 2022 – 2031.
By Kimberly Karlshoej* on behalf of Alla Guekht, Wolfgang Grisold, Sam Wiebe, Helen Cross, Julie Hall, Martin Brodie, Mary Secco, Jo Wilmhurst, Michael Brainin, Claudia Trenkwalder, David Dodick, and Bill Carroll
First published in World Neurology: Sept/Oct 2021, Volume 36, No. 4
*Kimberly Karlshoej is strategy and program director for the WFN
It was a landmark event when on Nov. 12, 2020, the WHO Executive Board accepted the recommendation of the World Health Assembly (WHA) to adopt Resolution WHA73.10. This resolution called for the development of an Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) to tackle epilepsy and other neurological disorders through comprehensive actions to detect, prevent, care, treat, and rehabilitate people with epilepsy and other neurological disorders, as well as ensuring their social, economic, educational, and inclusion needs.
The WFN has long been involved with neurological activities with the WHO, which include a first edition of the Atlas: Country Resources for Neurological Disorders 2004, Neurological Disorders: Public Health Challenges 2006 and the second edition of the Atlas: Country Resources for Neurological Disorders 2017, to mention a few. The resolution to develop an IGAP is also momentous in that neurological disorders are overtly recognized by the WHO Member States in line with the Global Burden of Neurological Disorders (2018) finding of them being the leading cause of disability-adjusted-life-years and the second leading cause of death.
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