Update on e-Learning opportunities.
By Riadh Gouider, Wolfgang Grisold, Steven Lewis, and Imen Kacem
The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) has been working with regional organizations and with a collaboration of other international organizations to create free e-learning days for neurologists, residents in neurology, and other health care professionals around the world.
The concept of these one-day educational events was boosted by the situation caused by COVID-19 pandemic, which suspended face-to-face conferences and regional teaching courses. The idea was to focus on one region, but also open the event to worldwide participation. The participation is free but registration is necessary.
The creation of these e-Learning days began with the African Region and was organized jointly with the African Academy of Neurology (AFAN).
The inaugural e-Learning Day, First WFN-AFAN e-Learning Day, took place Oct. 10, 2020. The theme was “Stroke: A Treatable and Preventable Disease,” with the collaboration of the World Stroke Organization (WSO), the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). Among those who registered, 576 participants from 60 countries participated in the event, with 513 participants from 31 African countries.
It was followed by the Second WFN-AFAN e-Learning Day, which took place on Nov. 6, 2021, and the overarching theme was epilepsy. The EAN, AAN, and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) provided support for this educational event. The participation rate reached 48.5% of the registrations. Participants from 88 countries, including 33 African countries, attended the e-learning day.
The Third WFN-AFAN e-Learning Day was held Nov. 3, 2022. The event covered a number of topics on the theme of “Movement Disorders.” The Movement Disorders Society (MDS), AAN, and the EAN collaborated on this event. There were 514 attendees from 84 countries who participated in the event worldwide, with 334 participants from 30 African countries.
This year, the Fourth WFN-AFAN e-Learning Day will take place Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, and will focus on neuropathies with the support of the AAN, EAN, the International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases (ICNMD), and the Peripheral Nerve Society (PNS).
These interactive e-learning days consist of a one-day program, primarily in English conferences, and with French parallel sessions, with the participation of local and international speakers.
In addition to the successful WFN-AFAN days, for three consecutive years, the WFN and AFAN have been jointly organizing, with the International Headache Society (IHS) and the Global Patient Advocacy Coalition (IHS-GPAC), educational days on the diagnosis, management, and support of patients with headache. The aim is to improve the knowledge of practitioners in Africa and to raise their awareness of headache disorders, hoping to contribute to improving the management of headache disorders on this continent.
The first Education in Headache to Health Care Providers in Africa (EHHPA) was conducted over two days (Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, and Saturday Sept. 4, 2021), with one parallel French conference on the first day and two parallel French conferences on the second day. The total number of attendees reached 498 participants from 71 countries with 65% of the participants from 32 African countries.
The Second Annual EHHPA, a one-day event, was held Saturday, May 14, 2022. It complemented the first one by focusing on the management and support of primary headache, with a focus on non-pharmacological management options, as well as the importance and strategy of advocacy for headache disorders.
The number of parallel French sessions increased to six parallel French conferences. 310 participants attended the Second Annual EHHPA hosted 310 participants of which 170 were neurologists and residents in neurology.
French parallel session
In 2023, the Third Annual EHHPA will be held Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Two parallel French sessions are scheduled, with three conferences each.
Registration is open now.
Following this successful pattern, the First WFN-AOAN e-Learning Day will be co-organized with the Asian and Oceanian Association of Neurology (AOAN), and have as the theme Advancing Stroke Care in Asia. This first Asian e-Learning Day is being planned for Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023 with the collaboration of the World Stroke Organization (WSO), the Asia Pacific Stroke Organization (APSO), and the World Federation for NeuroRehabilitation (WFNR).
These successful e-Learning activities are highly practical for neurologists and other health care professionals all over the globe to improve their neurological skills and practice. They play an important role within the mission of WFN, which is to foster quality neurology and brain health worldwide.
For more information and updates, visit the WFN website. •
