Background
The International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) is committed to finding new and innovative solutions to the problems impacting people with epilepsy and their families world-wide. As part of this commitment, IBE is providing a limited amount of financial support to IBE member organizations on a competitive basis for initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for people with epilepsy in developing nations.

Given the limited amount of funding available, it has been agreed to invest Promising Strategies in those nations of greatest need. As such, only IBE members in a country whose gross national product is less than US$10,000 according to Wold Bank figures are eligible to apply.

Definition of a Promising Strategy
A Promising Strategy is one that has the potential to foster effective and innovative public health practice with regard to epilepsy. Ideally, a Promising Strategy contains many of the following:

• Is based on measurable, realistic, and time specific objectives
• Is need-based and data-driven
• Is innovative and represents the development of new solutions to common problems impacting people with epilepsy and their families
• Establishes a strategy that makes a difference in improving accessibility to accurate, timely, necessary and culturally appropriate information and/or services
• Demonstrates a sustainable effect in the community where it is being implemented
• Has the potential for replication of positive results if the program is implemented in a similar environment with a similar target population as its original pilot demonstration
• Is a strategy that can be used to generate policies and initiatives to address systems issues and common problems impacting people with epilepsy and their families
• Is likely to be implemented in collaboration with other strategic partners
• Has the support of key leaders within the IBE member organization and broad epilepsy community
• Has a mechanism to evaluate results and get feedback to continue to improve the program

Promising Strategies 2007
The first round of the program took place during 2007. A total of 13 projects were funded, with each one receiving support ranging from US$2,000 to US$5,000 based on budget and merit. There projects were in Argentina, Cameroon, The Gambia, Guatemala, Ecuador, Mauritius, Romania, Mongolia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe and included poultry rearing enterprises, vegetable growing projects, educational initiatives such as tailoring and massage therapy, creation of drug banks, and work to improve driving legislation for people with epilepsy.

Promising Strategies 2008
In mid-2007, IBE member associations were again invited to submit Letters of Intent outlining potential proposals for funding. By the closing date, the office had received more than 20 submissions. Of the original applications, 7 were short-listed and these were invited to prepare Full Proposals for final consideration.

Based on the proposals received, the selection of projects to be funded under the second round of Promising Strategies was made by the International Executive Committee in January 2008. It was agreed that 6 projects would receive US$5,000 each in support. These 6 projects are now underway in Brazil, The Gambia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia and Tanzania.

Supporting Promising Strategies
In 2007, UCB Pharma staff members in 3 different locations took part in a Fun Run to raise funds for the IBE Promising Strategies Program. The money obtained by the runners through sponsorship was matched by UCB management and a total of Euro 25,000 was raised. This sum has made a big difference to the level of funding IBE can provide and the Bureau was delighted to learn that the Fun Run is to be repeated in 2008.

Epilepsy Foundation, IBE’s Full Member in the United States, provided US$4,000 to the Promising Strategies Program in 2007 and has also agreed to repeat this support in 2008. IBE is very grateful to the association for this generous gesture.

IBE has used some of the funds generated through the IBE Solidarity Fund, to support the Promising Strategy projects both in 2007 and 2008. The Solidarity Fund was created as a means of supporting IBE Members in developed countries to become involved in IBE activities, where such involvement would be otherwise denied because of lack of funds. In addition to providing some funding to the Promising Strategy Program, the Solidarity Fund has also helped Members in low income countries with their annual dues payments. IBE encourages it Members who are based in developed regions to make a donation to the Solidarity Fund when arranging their dues payments; although donations are welcome at any time and from any source.

Promising Strategies 2009
It is hoped to provide the third round of funding next year. Full details will be circulated to IBE Members later this year and the details will also be made available on the IBE website.

Promoting Promising Strategies
The Promising Strategies Program is such an important initiative that it is widely promoted both in the IENews and also at congresses through the media of attractive posters, flyers and postcards.

Click here to download a poster which was displayed at the 7th Asian & Oceanian Epilepsy Congress in Xiamen, May 2008 (file size 1.35Mb).
Click here to download a postcard which was circulated at the 7th Asian & Oceanian Epilepsy Congress in Xiamen, May 2008 (file size 1.41Mb).