IGAP Santo Domingo.
By Prof. Renato Verdugo and Prof. Marco T. Medina
The Intersectional Global Action Plan (IGAP) Latin American workshop took place June 13, 2024, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. IGAP is a worldwide plan to combat neurological diseases through 2031. It was launched by the WHO in 2022.
The event in Santo Domingo was organized by the Chilean League Against Epilepsy and the Autonomous University of Honduras, with the support of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). The meeting was directed by Profs. Carlos Acevedo and Keryma Acevedo from Chile and Prof. Marco Tulio Medina from Honduras. Dr. Carmen Martinez-Viciana attended on behalf of PAHO.
(Left to right) Profs. Fernando Cendes, Renato Verdugo, and Marco Tulio Medina.
The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) was present through the participation of the president of the Pan-American Federation of Neurological Societies (PAFNS) and the regional division of the WFN for Latin America and Caribe Prof. Renato Verdugo of Chile, PAFNS Past President Prof. Marco Tulio Medina, and PAFNS Vice President Prof. Fernando Cendes of Brazil.
The meeting was successful regarding attendance and the relevance of the discussion. The overall theme was “IGAP: Challenges for its Implementation in Latin America.” Several topics were discussed, including:
- Knowing IGAP, its scope, implications, relevance, and indicators
- Identifying priorities and regional leaderships
- Promoting regional development, sharing successful local strategies, and exchanging ideas to promote IGAP in the Latin American region
- Generating actions and technical visions that may be implemented to support the region locally
- Generating an epilepsy work model that includes stakeholders in Latin America
Working in small groups.
Prof. Verdugo gave a talk describing some of the most prevalent and growing neurological disorders in Latin America, with a focus on stroke and dementia. After a general conference, the participants were divided into groups that discussed the different subjects and presented their conclusions.
Ultimately, the meeting drew attention to the need to establish a Latin American regional IGAP group between the WHO/PAHO, regional WHO Collaborating Centers, the International Bureau of Epilepsy, and PAFNS/EFN. •
Prof. Renato Verdugo is president of the Pan-American Federation of Neurological Societies (PAFNS) and Prof. Marco Tulio Medina is past president of PAFNS and former co-opted trustee of the WFN.
