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Our Asian projects include Thailand, India, Vietnam, and more.

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Project Summary
The American Academy of Neurology's Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum (PALF) includes international neurologists as Fellows. The World Neurology Foundation is currently is working to support several projects that have been initiated by PALF alumni in Asia.

Palatucci Fellow project leaders involved include:

Apoorva Pauranik, MD, Madhya Pradesh, India. To promote and improve neurology patient care in India, Pauranik has proposed:

• Development and maintenance of a comprehensive website in Hindi for public awareness of neurological diseases and patient interaction with neurologists
• A long-term, sustainable program for public and patient education in Hindi, through publication and saturation-level dissemination of a large variety of pamphlets, brochures, posters, booklets, and books dedicated to every neurological ailment
• The establishment of a network of patient support groups for various neurological diseases in a number of cities in India, with additional periodic meetings of these groups (Neuro-sangam)
• An annual state-level neurology certificate course (one week) for non-neurologists (general practitioners)

Lakshmi Ranganathan, MD, Chennai, India. Dr. Ranganathan is currently involved with a program, the Epilepsy Advocacy Project, that seeks to empower women who have epilepsy. If a woman in Chennai develops epilepsy after marriage, her condition is considered grounds for divorce. Divorced women are left to support themselves, and employers are often not willing to hire these women. Dr. Ranganathan's project has a two-pronged approach:

• To educate the government so that divorce laws related to epilepsy can be changed
• To teach trades to the affected women, enabling to become self-sufficient

Mohammad Wasay, MD,The Aga Khan University, Karachi. Dr. Wasay, working in Pakistan's largest city (population 15 million), has developed a plan to screen a representative sample from Karachi for the identification of the burden of neurological diseases on the population. Building on his success in convincing the government of Pakistan to vaccinate against tetanus, Dr. Wasay wants to bring the common neurological diseases into the range of vision of the Ministry of Health. This data will be used to advocate for large health budgets for the care of neurological diseases.

Project Spotlight
Article: The World Neurology Foundation: Supporting Palatucci Advocacy Efforts in Low-Resource Regions

Author: Michael F. Finkel, MD, FAAN - President

"Neurological disorders present a profound public health problem worldwide, accounting for a significant proportion of the disease burden in developing countries. World Health Organization data indicate that neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders currently account for 28% of all life years lived with a disability, and this percentage is projected to rise significantly by the year 2020." Read more.

View the full article - American Academy of Neurology website