Chapter Name: PHILIPPINE LEAGUE AGAINST EPILEPSY, INC.
Report By: JEAN MARIE B. AHORRO, MD., FPNA, FCNSP, DPPS - PRESIDENT

Publications:

Not applicable

Summary of Activities:

  1. THE NATIONAL EPILEPSY AWARENESS WEEK CELEBRATION - held last September 1-8, 2020, showcase two series of webinars for the lay and the primary healthcare providers. The lay program entitled "EPILEPSY CARE DURING COVID" that we virtually ran for 3 consecutive afternoons, featured 3 EPILEPSY EXEMPLAR AWARDEES who gave talk on how they were able to achieve despite the challenges of being a person with epilepsy. We had a BANKER, an ENTREPRENEUR, and a LIFE COACH as speakers. The run we have for the primary healthcare workers entitled: EPILEPSY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC likewise ran for 3 consecutive afternoons. Our target participants were primary care practitioners, government rural health doctors, general practitioners, family physicians, internists, pediatricians as well as neurologists. The 3 topics that were discussed were: "COVID - 19: EPILEPSY AND SEIZURES", "TELEMEDICINE AND EPILEPSY CARE" and "PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES IN EPILEPSY: THE PANDEMIC ERA". These lectures were likewise all held virtually.
  2. Headed by the Committee on Scientific Affairs of the League, we conducted the first VIRTUAL TEACHING COURSE ON THE ESSENTIALS OF EEG AND EPILEPSY that run for 13 Tuesday from September 8 - December 8, 2020. The speakers were composed of our pool of epileptologists, both child and adult. the topics discussed dealt with the basics of EEG on the first 5 sessions then the remaining sessions dealt with the clinical aspects of Epilepsy. Each day of the course were participated on by an average of 350-400 neurologists from all over the country.
  3. PLAE partnered with the Secretary of the Department of Health to endorse the "GLOBAL ACTIONS ON EPILEPSY AND OTHER NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS" during the WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY. It was through the effort of the PLAE that we were able to convince the kind Secretary to support the draft and our Department of Health forwarded our recommendations to the Philippine Representative to the World Health Assembly.
  4. The Philippine League Against Epilepsy continues to participate actively as the source of information for the roll out of the Philippine Mental Health Act and the Universal Health Care Law. We have also been the source of resource people for the conduct and roll put of the EPILEPSY MODULE of the WHO mhGAP program in partnership with the DOH.

Challenges:

All our activities for now are limited to virtual meetings

Future Plans:

  1. The 11th National Epilepsy Congress of the PLAE will be held virtually on September 22-25, 2021. This will again be powered by talks from distinguished panel of foreign as well as local epilepsy experts.
  2. A Virtual Teaching Course for EEG Technicians will be conducted by the league for 3 consecutive Tuesdays starting March 6 - 22, 2021. EEG technicians from all over the country will be invited to join this EEG refresher course.

Officer Election Date: September 24, 2021