Neurological disorders are the leading cause of disability adjusted life years and the second leading cause of death globally. Despite the high global burden of neurological conditions, access to both services and support for these conditions is insufficient, especially in low- and middle-income countries published by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In November 2020, the Seventy-third World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted resolution WHA 73.10 on Global actions on epilepsy and other neurological disorders, which requested the WHO Director-General to develop an Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders in consultation with Member States. The action plan will address the challenges and gaps in providing care and services for people with epilepsy and other neurological disorders that exist worldwide and ensure a comprehensive, coordinated response across sectors.
The Secretariat followed the below consultative process in order to facilitate its preparation of the draft action plan:
- In March 2021, the Secretariat published a discussion paper on the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders. Member States, United Nations (UN) agencies and relevant non-State actors were subsequently invited to share their comments in response to the discussion paper through virtual and web-based consultations until mid-April 2021. Following the consultations, the WHO Secretariat published online the consolidated comments received on the discussion paper at the end of April 2021.
- In June 2021, the first draft of the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders was developed based on the input received on the discussion paper.
- From June 2021 until August 2021, web-based and virtual consultations were carried out to seek comments from Member States, UN agencies and relevant non-State actors on the first draft of the action plan. This included regional consultations to obtain feedback from Member States and a series of virtual consultations with people with neurological disorders, their carers and families for specific input from those with lived experience.
- The consolidated comments received on the first draft were published online in September 2021. Feedback from the consultative process on the first draft was received from 71 Member States and 75 other relevant stakeholders..
