Message from the WFN President

Prof. Dr Wolfgang Grisold

November 2025

Dear Visitors of the WFN Website,
Dear Member Societies,

Welcome to the WFN website, our resource for sharing information about the structure, activities, and initiatives of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN). Further details and updates can be found in our newsletter World Neurology, as well as in our Service Pages published in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences. In addition, WFN news is regularly shared on social media to keep the public and the neurology community informed of our latest developments.

The most significant and current WFN news concerns the results of the elections held during the Council of Delegates meeting at the World Congress of Neurology (WCN) in Seoul in October 2025. Professor Steven Lewis (USA) was elected as the new WFN President, transitioning from his current role as Secretary General. Professor Lewis brings a wealth of experience and a strong record of service to the WFN leadership. Professor Riadh Gouider (Tunisia) was elected as First Vice President, bringing with him a long and distinguished history with the WFN. Professor Gouider has served two terms as an elected Trustee and also acted as a co-opted Trustee representing the Arab and African regions.

Both Professors Lewis and Gouider will assume office on January 1, 2026, succeeding Professor Wolfgang Grisold, current WFN President, and Professor Guy Rouleau, current First Vice President, who will both be stepping down from the WFN Board. Professor Chandekar Meshram was re-elected and will continue for a second term as an elected Trustee. All those elected are well-versed in WFN governance and have extensive experience with its protocols and activities.

We extend our sincere thanks to Professors Imen Kacem (Tunisia) and Briseida Feliciano (Puerto Rico), whose terms as co-opted Trustees concluded at the Council of Delegates meeting, for their enormous contributions to the WFN mission and their dedicated representation of their respective regions.

Following this election, the Board now includes representatives from North America, Asia, Africa, and the Arab regions. Latin America—and, for the first time in WFN history, Europe—are not represented on the current Board.

We also wish to thank all individuals who applied for the open positions. The Nominations Committee carefully reviewed all applications, which were of a very high standard. However, as only one nominee can be selected per position, we sincerely hope that all candidates who were not elected will continue to support the WFN and the advancement of neurology worldwide.

Finally, the site of the next World Congress of Neurology following Cape Town 2027 has been selected. Among seven applicants for WCN 2028, three were shortlisted, and Copenhagen was chosen by the delegates. We congratulate Copenhagen on this achievement and thank all other candidate cities for their strong interest and efforts.

Bella Center, Copenhagen. The site of  the future WCN congress 2028

The 2025 World Congress of Neurology (WCN) in Seoul was a great success and left many lasting impressions. The organization of the congress — from the scientific program to the educational sessions, free topics, posters, and communications — was exemplary. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who participated in and contributed to these long-term preparations. Special appreciation goes to the Korean Neurological Association (KNA) as host and to KENES as the professional conference organizer for their outstanding work.

Prof. Beomseok Jeon receives a Glass Snow Globe, with a motif from Vienna as a small token at the opening ceremony. Click to enlarge.	Plenary lecture Mikolaj Ogrodnik in his stunning Plenary session on mechanisms of senescence. Click to enlarge.	Tarun Dua (WHO) at her speech in the opening session. Click to enlarge.

The WFN booth: Carlos Hunt and Ksenia Pochigaeva distributing WFN material.. Click to enlarge.
The AAN- WFN GALP graduates. Click to enlarge.
The coffee talks gave opportunity for discussions and questions. Click to enlarge.

We are also grateful to the participants from 123 countries who attended the Seoul WCN — 2,631 in person and 471 virtually. The top countries for in-person attendance were Korea, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States, while for online participation the leading countries were India, Indonesia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Regrettably, virtual participation from low-income countries was lower than intended, with Sudan being the only country in this category represented by more than a few delegates (eight participants).

The plenary lectures covered a wide range of neurological topics, from translational research to patient-centered care, and the numerous scientific sessions provided important updates on many neurological conditions.

We were honoured by a visit from Dr. Tarun Dua of the World Health Organization (WHO), who launched the new “WHO Global Status Report on Neurology".

Several brain health sessions addressed international initiatives, including the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders 2022–2031 (IGAP) and the WHO Essential Medicines List.

The Global Leadership Meeting with the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) explored global neuropolitical issues. The WFN and AAN jointly launched a major initiative — the Global Advocacy Leadership Program (GALP)— aimed at building global advocacy capacity in neurology. The program began in San Diego and concluded at the WCN in Seoul with a graduation ceremony honouring 15 participants (out of an original 20) who successfully completed the course. In addition to their existing advocacy expertise, these graduates now represent the first generation of WFN- and AAN-trained global advocacy leaders.

Our WFN global advocacy efforts continue to expand. Alongside high-level meetings in New York and Geneva earlier this year, we are working to encourage participation in regional WHO activities. For the first time, WFN representatives took part in the African Regional WHO Meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, followed by the South-East Asian Meeting in the Fiji Islands and the European Meeting in Copenhagen.

Advocating for neurology and promoting the IGAP remain central to our mission. By voicing statements on behalf of neurology, we aim to raise awareness, inspire regional and member societies, and promote brain health worldwide. IGAP provides a powerful framework that can open doors to engagement with both local and international policymakers in support of neurology.

We invite you to stay connected with us through the WFN website, our social media channels, the World Neurology newsletter, the Journal of the Neurological Sciences (including the Service Pages), and eNeurologicalSci. We also welcome submissions addressing local and regional neurological issues.

Chronic pain and opioid abuse in war victims as symbolized by a poppy seed field. Photo: Wolfgang Grisold Click to enlarge.

Armed conflicts and wars The call to care for, help, and donate to victims of war grows more important and louder due to many circumstances. Regardless of country, religion, and other motives, victims of war on all sides are adversely affected by mental health issues and neurological sequelae, which will have to be treated. Brain and spinal cord damage, lesions of the peripheral nervous system, and mental health issues, such as variations of shell shock and post-traumatic stress disorder, will need further attention and research. The need for neurorehabilitation increases and will require new concepts for many neurological deficits. History tells us that neurology and psychiatry were misused in some countries during some periods of time. This must always be avoided and neuroscience and neurology shall continue to be our truth and guidance. Our role is to remain advocates for patients.   Professor Dr Wolfgang Grisold WFN President