News

17 months of hard work, 14 fantastic Global Epilepsy Leaders!The Global Epilepsy Leaders programme is an IBE-run leadership programme launched in 2024 with the primary objective of empowering epilepsy advocates and chapter representatives through targeted training and experiential learning with the skills and confidence to become leaders on a national and global level.We want to create a powerful

We are pleased to announce that Francesca Sofia has been reappointed as President of the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE), beginning her second term following recent constitutional reforms that allow for consecutive presidential terms.In a message to the IBE community, Francesca expressed gratitude and a renewed sense of purpose, noting that this next chapter represents not just continuity

Empowering and amplifying the voice and visibility of people with epilepsy, and those who care for them, is a necessary step in the awareness-raising and advocacy that will be required to ensure we can meet the ambitious global targets set out by the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and other Neurological Disorders (IGAP).The goal of IGAP is to reduce the stigma, impact, and burden of

Dear friends,We are incredibly excited about the upcoming IBE Europe Chapters Convention, taking place on September 12th and 13th in the beautiful city of Rome.This gathering holds immense importance as a chance for representatives from across Europe to connect, collaborate, and shape the future of our region. Your participation and enthusiasm are crucial for making this a success, and we know the

Next Thursday, September 5, 2024, the official launch of the “Advocate’s Toolkit to Make Epilepsy a Priority in the Americas” will take place during a special webinar event.This important resource has been co-developed by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to address the pressing issues faced by people with epilepsy across the Americas. It w

The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) has taken a significant step towards improving epilepsy care by forming a group of experts dedicated to establishing standardized methods for measuring outcomes in epilepsy clinical practice.The expert group, including Lorraine Lally, Leonie Wollscheid, Cassidy Megan, Sharon Mbugua, Tomás Mesa, and Professor Gus A. Baker, has ide

WHO has today published a new implementation toolkit for the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders (IGAP), outlining specific actions and resources for countries to improve services for people with neurological disorders in preparation for meeting IGAP’s targets for 2031.Neurological conditions are a primary cause of poor health and disability globally. The

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Latin America Regional Golden Light Awards who were presented with their award during the IBE Day at the 13th LAEC in Santiago de Domingo, Dominican Republic.  Delfina Varela, Argentina Francisca Sepulveda, Chile Adriana Rosales, El SalvadorThese awards serve to acknowledge and honour young people impacted by epilepsy, whether they live with the condit

IBE in collaboration with Epilepsy Ireland, Young Epilepsy (UK), and Epilepsy Connections (Scotland, UK), brought 27 young people with epilepsy together in Dublin, Ireland, for a Global Youth Summit as part of the 35th International Epilepsy Congress.The summit took place over 2.5 days, bringing together a group of young people aged 19–36 from ten countries, including the UK (England and Scotland)

The Annual General Meeting will take place on Monday, 11 December 2023.More information will be available closer to the date.

The curtains may have closed on the 35th International Congress (IEC), but the echoes of the event continue to resonate with us. We want to share with you some of the highlights from this unforgettable event.New Hashtag Created: To amplify the voices of lived experience during IEC we registered a dedicated hashtag, #EpilepsyVoices at Symplur’s Healthcare Hashtag Project, to use alongside the offic

It gives us great pleasure to share this IGAP Online Webinar (Spanish and English) which took place on 12 September, organised by FUNDHEMI, FEDE, LICHE, and the IBE to celebrate Latin American Epilepsy Week.The discussion centered on the following topics: What is the WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (IGAP) What is the importance of IGAP for the glob

Three inspiring young people – from Brazil, Tanzania and Ireland – were selected to receive this year’s International Golden Light Awards,  from over 20 nominations received from across the world. The Awards are an opportunity to recognise and reward outstanding young people who live with epilepsy or care for a person with epilepsy.‘There are so many young people with epilepsy globally who are wor

We are pleased to inform you that the WHO Committee on Essential Medicines has given its approval for the addition of oral levetiracetam for the treatment of focal-onset and generalized-onset seizures in its Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) and Essential Medicine for Children (EMLc).Parenteral levetiracetam has also been added to the complementary lists of the EML and EMLc for use in the ma