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Following recent meetings between members of the IBE/ILAE Epilepsy Alliance Europe Task Force and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), we are delighted to report that nine MEPs have offered to join the European Advocates for Epilepsy group in the European Parliament. This brings membership of the group to 63 MEPs. The group is led by Brian Hayes MEP, who acts as President of the group, with Nathalie Griesbeck MEP as Vice President. Created in April 2011, the aim of the group is to improve the quality of life of all people with epilepsy, their families, care‐givers and healthcare providers through European Union (EU) policy. Since 2011, the working group has hosted an annual day for epilepsy each February, in addition to accommodation regular workshops on epilepsy related topics. Meetings with the Health and Research Commissions have been facilitated and, during the Irish Presidency of the European Union in 2013, a conference on Epilepsy Research was held in Dublin. In June 2016, 20 members of the group added their signatures to a letter calling on the support of national members for an application for a European Reference Network on Rare and Complex Epilepsies. The support of the European Advocates for Epilepsy [...]

CALLING ALL IBE CHAPTERS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA AND WESTERN PACIFIC REGIONS Is there a young member of your association who has been a shining light for others and who is deserving of recognition? The Regional Committees in South East Asia and Western Pacific are calling for nominations for the IBE Golden Light Awards, to be presented in Bali in 2018 at the time of the 12th Asian & Oceanian Epilepsy Congress. The awards were first introduced in 2004, with the title ‘Outstanding Person with Epilepsy Award’ and have been presented at each Asian Oceanian Epilepsy Congress since then. The title of the award was changed to Golden Light Awards in 2016, to recognise the fact that people with epilepsy do not have to be defined by their condition and embracing the call of the International Bureau for Epilepsy ‘bringing epilepsy out of the shadows and into the light’. All people living with epilepsy, parents, family members or their carers are eligible to be nominated for this award by their national IBE chapter. However, for 2018, it is proposed to focus the awards on young people. Each chapter member of the South East Asia and Western Pacific Regions is entitled to [...]

Introducing the seven recently elected IBE Vice Presidents, who will represent their regions on the International Executive Committee for the term 2017-2019. Their terms of office will begin at the time of the IBE General Assembly, which takes place at the 32nd International Epilepsy Congress in Barcelona in September. VICE PRESIDENT EUROPE Caroline Morton, Netherlands Mrs Morton has been working in the epilepsy field for more than 25 years. She was first employed as IBE Administrative Assistant when the IBE office was based in Heemstede and worked closely with the late Hanneke de Boer on the ILAE/IBE/WHO Global Campaign Against Epilepsy. Currently she is International Relations Officer at SEIN Epilepsy Centre. She holds a voluntary position as a representative to the UN for the World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH). She is also a member of the IBE Legislation Task Force. VICE PRESIDENT AFRICA Jacob Mugumbate, Zimbabwe Mr Mugumbate is a former Executive Director of the Epilepsy Support Foundation of Zimbabwe. He has also served on the IBE African Regional Committee as a co-opted member. He holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Zimbabwe. Since [...]

The IBE/ILAE congress awards are presented biennially at the time of the International Epilepsy Congress, to honour individuals who have made significant contributions, over a long period of time and at international level, in the field of epilepsy. There are three categories: Ambassador for Epilepsy - presented to a maximum of 13 recipients; Social Accomplishment, presented to one individual; and the highest honour, Lifetime Achievement Award which, as its name implies, recognises a lifetime of achievement of an individual. Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to: Charlotte Dravet, France This is the highest award bestowed by IBE/ILAE and is given to an individual to recognise his or her exceptional and outstanding personal contribution over a long period of time to activities to advance the cause of epilepsy. Charlotte Dravet, France Although especially known for the epilepsy syndrome that bears her name, Prof Dravet made impressive contributions to our understanding of the clinical and electrophysiological correlates of epilepsy syndromes of childhood. In addition to her clinical expertise and research achievements, Prof Dravet is known worldwide for her humble attitude, tireless work and dedication to the epilepsy mission, including her support to the many lay associations , some made [...]

It has been nearly three decades since experts published a classification system related to epilepsy. Now, the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) provides an update to systems that includes many types of seizures not captured in the older version, allowing clinicians and patients to make more informed decisions concerning treatment. The three companion articles were published on March 9th in Epilepsia. “Applying the right therapy often depends upon knowing the precise type of seizure.” “There are many more avenues for epilepsy diagnosis and therapy than there were when the classification was constructed in the 1980s,” said Robert Fisher, MD, PhD, a professor in the Stanford Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences and lead author of two of the articles in Epilepsia. “Applying the right therapy often depends upon knowing the precise type of seizure.” Dr. Fisher noted that some important seizure types did not fit into the old classification, while others had names that were difficult to understand and apply. The 2017 ILAE seizure classification addresses some of these issues. “Patients and families will hopefully better understand the name of their seizures: for example, a ‘focal aware seizure’ is more understandable than is the old term ‘simple partial seizure’,” said Dr. [...]

Balloting is now underway to elect the 7 Regional Vice Presidents for the period 2017-2019. The IBE chapters are invited to ballot in the elections to fill the Vice President positions in Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, Latin America, North America, South East Asia and Western Pacific regions. The close of the ballot period is 8th April 2017 and the results of the elections will be announced on 11th April. As a once off, to begin the new staggering of terms on the International Executive Committee, the Vice Presidents will be elected for a two-year term 2017-2019. A third cycle of elections, to fill remaining positions on the Regional Executive Committees will start in mid-April. All elections will be completed by mid-July. The new term of office for all successfully elected candidates begins at the time of the next IBE General Assembly, taking place during the 32nd International Executive Committee in Barcelona in September 2017. Meet the candidates and read their election statements. AFRICA EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN EUROPE LATIN AMERICA NORTH AMERICA SOUTH EAST ASIA WESTERN PACIFIC

IBE is pleased to announce the results of the recent elections to fill the Officer positions (President, Secretary General and Treasurer) on the International Executive Committee for the period 2017-2021.   President-elect is Prof Martin Brodie (Scotland). Prof Brodie has previously been a member of the IBE International Executive Committee when he held the office of ILAE Treasurer from 2005 to 2009. He has been involved in other IBE activities, including chairing EUcare – a joint task force of IBE and ILAE, which was active from 2001 to 2009. He set up and chairs the Board of Trustees of the charity Scottish Epilepsy Initiative. Its major project is “The TEA Room”, a friendly space for teenagers with epilepsy. He has received the IBE/ILAE Ambassador for Epilepsy award, the ILAE CEA European Epileptology Award, the Epilepsy Lifetime Service Award from the ILAE UK chapter and the William G Lennox Award from the American Epilepsy Society. In his election statement, Prof Brodie said: “Epilepsy care should be an equal partnership involving all stakeholders and so we must harness our best talents – wherever these might be found – to convey our message loudly and clearly to the world. We must encourage the general [...]