The World Federation of Neurology speaks out
on global neurological and brain health priorities in Geneva, Switzerland.
By Ksenia Pochigaeva, Alla Guekht, and Steven Lewis
The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) participated in the 158th session of the WHO Executive Board (EB158) as a nonstate actor in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). The meeting took place Feb. 2-7 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Dr. Ksenia Pochigaeva addresses agenda item 10 on primary health care on behalf of the WFN.
Preparation for this event was completed by Prof. Steven Lewis, WFN president, and Prof. Alla Guekht, with WFN intern Dr. Ksenia Pochigaeva attending in person. The WFN’s participation focused on advocating for the integration of neurological and brain health priorities into the WHO’s strategic discussions and program agendas.
The executive board session began with the opening and adoption of the agenda, followed by reports from the director general and specialized WHO committees. Several days of the meeting were dedicated to discussions of health-related agenda items. These included:
- The continuous development of health care systems, including universal health coverage and primary health care
- Addressing and preparing for emergencies
- Health promotion
Several key agenda items were selected for one-minute verbal interventions aimed at advocating for the recognition of neurology as a critical component of sustainable health care systems.
One of the interventions was a follow-up to the political declaration of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This agenda item received high interest from the member states, and the WFN statement was well received.
The WFN also made a verbal intervention during the discussion of agenda item seven (mental health). This item was of particular significance to the WFN because the WHO director general’s report on mental health issues also mentioned the progress of the implementation of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022-2031 (decision WHA75.11 (2022)). This part of the report showcased WHO support for IGAP implementation in Ghana, Kenya, the Republic of Moldova, South Africa, and the United Republic of Tanzania. It also highlighted measures for improving access to medicines for neurological disorders in Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, and Zambia.
Finally, the WFN delegate was given the opportunity to make a statement during the discussion of agenda item 10 on primary health care. The statement highlighted the belief that primary health care is vital to the implementation of preventive strategies against brain diseases and NCDs. It also addressed modifiable risk factors driving the incidence of stroke, dementia, and other chronic neurological conditions.
The final days of the meeting focused on agenda items related to WHO governance, budgeting, and organization-related issues. One of the sessions was dedicated to engagement with nonstate actors, including those in official relations with the WHO. At this time, WFN was one of the organizations whose official relations status with the WHO was extended through 2026-2028. •
Dr. Ksenia Pochigaeva is WFN Intern, Prof. Alla Guekht is past trustee of the WFN and current president of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), and Prof. Steven Lewis is the president of the WFN.
