Asian and Oceanian Outstanding Achievement Epilepsy Award (AOEA) 2022

Prof Seung Bong Hong has trained 60 epilepsy fellows for the past 30 years. He contributed for the proper reimbursement of EEG and video-EEG tests, intracranial electrodes, VNS and DBS. He has dedicated to improve epilepsy treatment and decrease SUDEP by the promotion of epilepsy surgery and VNS, and developed a new government support system for intractable epilepsy patients which is 90% reimbursement of all medical costs including drug, tests, and surgery. He improved a depression treatment and suicide prevention in epilepsy patients by changing a regulation on antidepressant prescription and by a suicide prevention campaign. Prof Hong established National Epilepsy Care Center which consults and cares medical, social welfare, emotional, legal problems and surgery cost of all epilepsy patients, and introduced magnetoencephalography and ROSA robot system. Currently he is working for a government budget for Regional Epilepsy Hospital system and a right protection law and a social work service reimbursement for epilepsy patients.