The Regional Committee Africa has undertaken the following activities in recent years:
A Regional African Epilepsy Conference was held in October 2005 in Kampala, Uganda. The following countries were in attendance – Ethiopia, Rwanda, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Denmark. The meeting focused on the followings goals for the region:
- The establishment of a regional communications network for the exchange of information related to epilepsy service provision.
- To ensure that education and awareness take priority within the African Region.
- Support to existing initiatives that can be applied in other Countries through skills transfer.
- Promotion of sustainable and accessible services for people with epilepsy.
- Promotion of human rights and dignity of people with epilepsy through advocacy actions.
- Promotion of greater participation by people in Africa in global epilepsy affairs.
The Chairman and the Secretary held an adhoc meeting in May 2006 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where several issues were discussed concerning the region.
The Africa Regional Secretary visited Gambia and Senegalese Chapters from 16th-23th October 2006 and held a series of meetings on the Global Campaign against Epilepsy Programme with the Gambian Government authority, WHO Country Representative, Civil Society, the Media and association members.
An encouraging number of Africa Regional Committee Members held various activities, including included National Epilepsy Day commemorations.
Ms. Noeline de Goede, Executive Director of Epilepsy South Africa and co-opted Member of the African Regional Executive Committee has been collecting data from all IBE Members in the region for the purpose of establishing better communication network between members.
Contacts were made with Malawi and Namibia and, as a result, the two countries have advanced in their registration process of becoming chapters.
A questionnaire was sent to all the members of the African Regional committee members to get data on the following:
- Particulars of the Association
- Number of members living with epilepsy
- Number of members not living with epilepsy
- National Epilepsy Day (commemorations date)
- List of office bearers and their positions
- Source of income
- Activities
- Constraints encountered by the Association
Eight out of eighteen chapters responded to the questionnaire and the information gathered will be used for planning of future activities in the region.
CHALLENGES:
- Lack of funds to implement the planned activities
- Poor communication between chapters
- Lack of formal skills in the majority of chapters
- Under-developed capacity in most of the chapters
- Lack of support to Chapters by most of Governments in the region.