New ILAE Council Organization

We are happy to share an important development in the League’s organizational structure.

At 110 years, the ILAE’s mission remains to ensure that health professionals, patients and their care providers, governments, and the public world-wide have the educational and research resources that are essential in understanding, diagnosing and treating persons with epilepsy. Yet, the challenges facing the League have changed significantly, as have the tools and ability to achieve its mission.

The League’s publication outlets have grown in number and diversity and they continues to develop; yet, dramatic changes in the publishing environment pose important challenges. The League’s educational portfolio is both more focused on the needs of our constituents and more diverse in its offerings, making use of state of the art technology and adult learning methods. The League’s congresses are adapting to a less favorable financial environment, while focusing increasingly on the educational needs of attendees. The activities of the League in the area of global advocacy continues to grow, engaging multiple partner organizations and importantly the World Health Organization.

The Councils will be “standing” (ongoing) entities responsible for long- and short-term planning, for policy review and for recommending a course of action to the Executive Committee. At the outset, four Councils have been formed, i.e., Education Council, Congress Council, Publication Council, and Global Advocacy Council. The Councils will replace the task forces that currently serve the corresponding areas. The Chairs of the Councils will be non-voting members of the ILAE Executive Committee. The terms of reference, membership and terms of office have been defined, and we are well in the process of assembling these new organizational entities; their work has already begun. We wish our colleagues serving in the inaugural Councils a successful tenure.

Samuel Wiebe
President, ILAE