Welcome to the WCN 2023 Interactive Program

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The African Academy of Neurology and strategies to improve access to care:

The African academy of Neurology and its members are committed to improving access to neurological care across the continent. The challenges faced by African Neurology are multiple, not least of which is the neurological workforce remaining woefully below WHO recommended neurologist to population ratios.

Mitigation of the challenges faced by individuals living with neurological disease on the continent requires a multipronged, multidisciplinary, and multilevel approach. A key factor in this endeavour is increasing the number of neurologists on the continent. But this approach cannot be undertaken in isolation.

Education at all levels, including the general public, primary healthcare providers and non-neurologists is paramount. The way we speak about brain health needs to change, especially when communicating with policy makers, key stakeholders and opinion leaders. Especially for policy makers, incentivisation for neurologists to resist the train of the continental brain drain, and provision of access to care outside of the main urban centres is key. The emphasis needs to be not only on the neurological components of the matter, but also on the economic implications of inadequate brain health on individuals, communities and society as a whole. Only then will we be able to put in place the measures required to facilitate better access to neurological services and care to improve brain health on the continent.

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In elderly populations, various neurological diseases are more commonly observed. The risk of developing these neurological disorders tends to increase with age due to factors like natural aging processes, genetic predisposition, and environmental influences. Among the most common neurological diseases in the elderly are neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease and related disorders, Parkinson's Disease, Atypical Parkinsonian syndromes, essential tremor, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Additionally, epilepsy and stroke are significant neurological conditions frequently encountered in the elderly, and they can have an impact on the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.

We focused in this talk on epilepsy in elderly population. Epilepsy in is the third most common serious neurological disorder in the elderly after stroke and dementia. Early detection, appropriate medical care, and lifestyle interventions can significantly impact the management and quality of life for elderly individuals affected by this condition.