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Following the adoption of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and other Neurological Disorders (IGAP) by WHO's 75^th World Health Assembly in Geneva by all the Member States, the WFN is collaboratively working with the WHO and others to raise awareness and foster implementation of IGAP worldwide.

In August, the WFN met with several stakeholders at the WHO, in Geneva to formulate and define the way forward to implement IGAP.

Closely aligned to IGAP is the concept of Brain health. The WFN joined the EAN brain health summit and had a joint symposium in Vienna on this topic. The WHO published on brain health in the WFN's Journal of Neurological Sciences (JNS) and the WFN an editorial in response. This month another paper on Optimizing Brain Health, was released by the WHO. It is very helpful for understanding the complexities and the holistic approach of the WHO towards brain health.

The WFN's World Brain Day was successful. The topic of "Brain Health for All" was timely and was taken up by many WFN Member Societies and other organisations worldwide. The efforts were all impressive, not least the Indian Association of Neurologists, which had 102 activities during World Brain Day which stretched into a full week.

Many prominent speakers talked about World Brain Day's key messages (prevention, awareness, education, advocacy and access) for the WFN Brain Health for All webinar. You can still watch this here.

The momentum that IGAP and brain health have for neurology offers a unique chance to position neurology more prominently worldwide.

The WFN has been granted Special Status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which will provide more top-level access and information to WFN that will give neurology a stronger voice.

From global events to the WFN:

The preparation for the COD meeting in Amsterdam on the 25^th of October is in progress, and two positions (SG and one Trustee) are up for election. The Nomination Committee has recommended seven candidates. It continues to be of utmost importance that the regions are represented in the WFN leadership.

The newly formed committees of the WFN now have a gender composition of close to 50/50 (compared to 15% female and 85% male in the previous year). A new subcommittee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has been formed as well as a new subcommittee for Young Neurologists and a subcommittee with the task of creating a Patient Platform.

The WFN is looking forward to the World Congress of Neurology (WCN) in Montreal, Canada 2023. I want to thank the WCN organising committees for their work in preparing the congress.

Since my last message, the world situation has not improved. The WFN disapproves of armed conflicts and reminds you of the possibility of donating to the organisations named below.