Chapter Spotlight: Portugal
The Liga Portuguesa Contra Epilepsia (LPCE), or Portuguese League Against Epilepsy, has been very active recently, sponsoring technical and scientific events and educational initiatives, as well as being active in health policy initiatives.
2019 - 2020
2015
Technical and Scientific Events - 2015
13-14 March, 2015
Encontro Nacional de Epileptologia
Coimbra, Portugal
Website: Preliminary program and registration
Epilepsy Surgery Forum: Gathering of the 5 Portuguese epilepsy surgery centers, held twice each year.
BIAL neurology forum, Lisbon
Organized the scientific program for Bial Neurology Forum, Lisbon. LPCE collaborated in the scientific program.
Full day, hands-on epilepsy coursefor neurology residents. Coimbra, January 2014
Educational Initiatives-2015
The LPCE launched three educational projects in close collaboration with the patients association (EPI), two of them targeting the general public and another focusing on specific groups of people with epilepsy. Simultaneously they ran an epilepsy multimedia exhibition which was visited by several hundred people throughout the country.
Other activities in 2014 included participation in the European campaign “Epilepsy is more than seizures: Running for Epilepsy (within the commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the National Health Care System); and participation in several TV programs aiming to increase the public awareness about epilepsy.
The chapter also worked in close partnership with the national patient’s association (EPI). Recent collaborations have resulted in three ambitious projects:
- ProjectaNOS +: goal is to increase the epilepsy awareness in the general population
- Integrar(TE): defines personalized physical exercise programs for people with epilepsy
- GPEIS: evaluates job skills and promotes labour integration in articulation with national enterprises.
Educational Videos - 2015
The chapter has produced six educational videos which illustrate features of different seizure types and instructions on how to help. LPCE thinks these videos might be helpful for other Portuguese speaking countries as well.
View videos here, or access them through the LPCE website (www.epilepsia.pt/epi).
Epilepsy is more than Seizures campaign - 2015
The LPCE has sponsored a competition for the best epilepsy awareness videoclips. These 2 videos (winner and 2nd place) last 15 seconds, have been uploaded to our facebook page and will air on national TV on February 9th. View videos. More about the competition.
Health Policy - 2015
Audition of the Portuguese League against Epilepsy in the Health Commission of the Portuguese Parliament which occurred in January, 2013.
During the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the national epilepsy meeting the Portuguese League organized a dinner debate with several politicians from the Parliament’s Health Commission, entitled: "How to contaminate our politicians with the flame of epilepsy"
During 2014: After the elections for the EU parliament we have started to contact our national MEPs, a process still running. In addition, the Portuguese League has been working within specific working groups and has been consulted by the General Health Office of Health Ministry.
LPCE chapter website
Articles, epilepsy news, and announcements about current and upcoming activities can be found on the League website: www.epilepsia.pt/lpce
This site includes both the LPCE site (epilepsia.pt/lpce) and the patient's association site (epilepsia.pt/epi). Although the editorial direction of each site is fully independent, this allows for easy sharing of contents, whenever appropriate.
Submitted by Francisco Sales, President
Portuguese League Against Epilepsy
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