Prof. Wolfgang Grisold looks back on WFN’s internal and global activities and ahead at the year to come
By Prof. Wolfgang Grisold
Welcome to the latest edition of World Neurology, which is the last issue for 2024. I want to thank those who have published and reported for World Neurology. I encourage you to send your reports to share with our readers. And, of course, thanks to the team of editors, publishers, and all others who promote this activity.
2024 has been a successful year for the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) with a successful International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseasees (ICNMD) in Perth, Australia, two Educational Days, and the new WFN Digital Neurology Update (WNU) activities.
The e-Learning, virtual, and hybrid meetings are here to stay and are a useful tool to bring news of neurology in all parts of the world. Not only has traveling become more expensive, but visa hurdles and bureaucracy are increasing worldwide. The 2023 World Congress of Neurology in Montreal — in addition to the on-site delegates — was attended virtually by 1,400 participants from 120 countries. This participation highlights the interest in neurological updates and dissemination of neurological knowledge.
WFN Internal Updates
Following the meeting of the Council of Delegates (COD) in September 2024, several decisions were made. In particular, the bylaws were changed with regard to a future president-elect and the past president. (See “WFN Digital Update and a Recap of the Council of Delegates Meeting” in the previous issue of World Neurology.) Following the meeting, we also decided to co-opt two trustees until the next COD meeting. The conditions were that all regions of the world should be represented again and our female composition of leadership should be increased.
We are glad to announce that from the North Africa, African, and Pan-Arab region, we were able to invite Dr. Imen Kacem from Tunisia, which will give us a deeper connection and understanding of African needs. Dr. Kacem is the secretary-general of the African Academy of Neurology (AFAN) and is involved with the Pan-Arab society. For Latin America, we were able to invite Dr. Briseida Feliciano from Puerto Rico who was recommended by the Pan-American Federation of Neurological Societies (PAFNS). Both of these placements will enlarge our spectrum of knowledge on the regions and will provide the WFN input on the needs of those areas.
In this issue of World Neurology, you will also find an official announcement calling for candidates for the elections in 2025. There will be a call for the new WFN president and first WFN vice president (who will take office Jan. 1, 2026), and one elected trustee (taking office immediately after the COD meeting). Only the position of the elected trustee is eligible for re-election. That position is currently held by Prof. Chandrashekhar Meshram (India).
Global Activities
From a global standpoint, the procedures on the input and establishment of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (IGAP) are proceeding worldwide. The IGAP will mark the fourth anniversary of its establishment in 2025.
The WFN participated in the World Health Organization Mental Health Forum in October in Geneva, where we gave two extended statements on neurology and on the implementation of IGAP.
The approach toward the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has been an important field of development for the WFN. This arena is different from the WHO, which is entirely dominated by health. The U.N. ECOSOC has many other stakeholders, and health is only one aspect.
That is why it is crucial to alert the ECOSOC to the importance of brain health as a general global concept. We have already introduced statements at U.N. meetings, which have led to several meetings with the current ECOSOC President and Canadian Ambassador Bob Rae. On Nov. 1, 2024, we were received by Ambassador Rae in New York and agreed on the cooperation between the U.N., ECOSOC, and the WFN for World Brain Day 2025. The topic will be brain health for all ages. The preparations for World Brain Day for all regions will begin in the coming weeks.
Educational Opportunities
We are advancing with our WFN teaching and Training Centers, and for the four-year position in Cape Town we had 165 applicants. Dr. Jemima Yebaoh from Ghana has been selected for the upcoming four-year WFN training position, sponsored by the WFN.
It is important to have site visits to the Training Centers, to exchange thoughts, talk to residents, and see how the education programs proceed. This year, we have already reported that we visited Cairo and Dakar, and we decided to see all Training Centers on the African continent.
The evaluations of the Training Centers will be made available in a report at a later date. We want to thank all participants who help us keep the Training Centers in such a prolific state. The Latin American Training Center in Mexico has started its training of one person this year as part of a stroke fellowship, and we intend to have a site visit to Mexico City in 2025.
The plan and offer to establish a WFN Training Center in Asia is still open. Unfortunately, a final decision has not been reached.
The Training Centers in Africa have been going for 13 years and are a story of success, as they not only train neurologists, but also empower regions and catalyze the establishment of more training sites in Africa. (See Journal of the Neurological Sciences [JNS] Service Pages.)
We are jointly working with the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) on the Global Advocacy Leadership Program (GALP). We have selected 20 candidates from low-middle and low-income countries. The program will start with a face-to-face meeting of all participants and faculty at the 2025 AAN Annual Meeting April 5-9, in San Diego, California. This will be followed by a series of virtual meetings that will explore relevant topics in global health, such as global organizations, funding, and more. It will culminate with a second face-to-face meeting at the WCN, followed by a formal graduation of the participants at the opening of the WCN. WCN is scheduled for Oct. 12-15, 2025, in Seoul, South Korea. This is a major project and emphasizes the need for global education in advocacy and leadership for the future.
Development of Educational Days, or full days of topic-related lectures, is another activity the WFN is focused on. We have collaborated with AFAN and the Asian and Oceanian Association of Neurology (AOAN) in launching these Educational Days. Topics include epilepsy, movement disorders, neuropathies, and stroke. All Educational Days remain a permanent educational resource on the WFN e-Learning hub. We also had a series of joint Educational Days on Headache with the International Headache Society, American Migraine Foundation, and Global Patient Advocacy Coalition (GPAC) in the past years.
We look forward to WCN 2025 in Seoul. The preparations are ongoing, and the plenary lecture, the scientific program, and the educational program are in an advanced state of preparation.
For 2026, we intend to have another WFN Digital Update (WNU) course with an update to fill the gap between the WCN 2025 and WCN 2027.
For 2027, we look forward to the WCN in Cape Town, which will be an important milestone for the WFN, as it is the second congress of neurology on African soil.
For the WCN European Congress, which will take place in 2029, the deadline for application and interest was Nov. 30, 2024. We have six European countries that have applied: Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Hungary, and Turkey. The shortlist will be provided in the coming months, along with a list of our Professional Conference Organizer (PCO) site visits. The European WCN has always been attractive to Europeans, along with significant participation from our colleagues from other continents, to help shed a light on the important role of neurology worldwide.
WFN Media
Concerning our publications, the JNS, the eNeurologicalSci (eNS), and World Neurology are performing well and are substantially helping to increase the impact of neurology. We are grateful for our electronic media, the website, and our social media pages, which have been active in the past month and document, in a small way, the international activities of the WFN. You can also find additional WFN reports on the JNS Service Pages.
World Brain Day (WBD) will be the next major event for 2025. It will be organized with the global regions, and we will again use a professional American public relations agency to help us with the program development and to achieve worldwide awareness. Development takes about six months until the final World Brain Day is launched and is an important source of discussion. This year, we will start publishing interviews or podcasts a few months before the event to increase awareness. The final and formal conclusion will be at WCN 2025.
Editor's Choice
World Neurology | Dec 2024, Volume 39, No. 6
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