With the International Epilepsy Congress set to take place in Ireland at the beginning of September, we are delighted that An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar plans to address delegates as part of the opening ceremony of the event.
The Congress will see experts in epilepsy care from across the globe descend on Dublin for five days, with over 3,000 professionals expected to attend.
With the eyes of the international epilepsy community on Ireland, we have written to the Taoiseach, calling on him to use the Congress as a platform to begin implementing the vision of the World Health Organisation Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and other Neurological Conditions (IGAP) in Ireland.
Ireland, as an EU Member State, agreed to the actions of the IGAP which was adopted last year. The IGAP aims to improve the lives of all those living with epilepsy and neurological conditions across the globe and calls on member states to implement several key initiatives and policies to help achieve this. The key objectives include:
- To raise the prioritisation of, and strengthen governance for, epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
- To provide effective, timely and responsive diagnosis, treatment, and care for all patients.
- To implement strategies for promotion and prevention of epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
- To foster research and innovation into, and strengthen information systems, for epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
- To strengthen the public health approach to epilepsy.
The Congress represents a perfect opportunity for our Government to begin the process of implementing this plan – and set an example to other countries across the world to make the vision of the plan a reality for the 50 million people who are living with epilepsy across the globe.
You can read and download our letter to the Taoiseach at the end of this article.
You can read more about the IGAP by visiting the World Health Organisation’s website.
Further Information
- Time is running out to register to attend the public events of the International Epilepsy Congress! As part of the Congress, for the first time ever, there will be two public facing events featuring epilepsy experts from across the globe and we’d love to see you at these events. For further details and registration, visit the International Epilepsy Congress section of our website!