Dave Clarke, MD, professor of neurology and chief of the Dell Children’s Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center, organized and moderated the session “Addressing Deficits, Deficiencies, and Inequities in Managing Epilepsy in Small Island Developing States” at the United Nations’ fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), on May 27 at the American University of Antigua in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.
The aim of the conference, whose 2024 theme was “charting the course toward resilient prosperity,” is for international communities to propose solutions that help Small Island Developing States (SIDS) achieve sustainable development and resilience, as their geography presents unique challenges for their communities and economies. These challenges range from environmental disasters such as hurricanes to limited natural resources, high import costs, reduced tourism following the pandemic, and disproportionate impact of global crises.
People living with epilepsy in SIDS are affected by such challenges, which often create direct and indirect barriers to care. These barriers include limited health resources and fewer heath care providers, particularly during natural disasters. The SIDS4 session was created based on a UN proposal for a joint Antigua and Barbuda session on Care Delivery for Persons with Epilepsy, which calls for a targeted approach to addressing barriers to epilepsy care based on the WHO’s Intersectoral Global Action Plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders (IGAP).
The annual session aimed to address all five strategic objectives of IGAP, with a focus on Caribbean Islands and other SIDS: (1) raise policy prioritization to strengthen governance; (2) provide effective, timely, and responsive diagnosis, treatment, and care; (3) implement strategies for promotion and prevention; (4) foster research and innovation and strengthen information systems; and (5) strengthen the public health approach to epilepsy.
Speakers included a representative of Antigua and Barbuda; Amza Ali, MD, director of the Epilepsy Centre of Jamaica and senior associate lecturer at the University of West Indies; Mishka Duncan, MD, pediatric neurologist at Milton Cato Memorial Hospital St. Vincent and the Grenadines and behavioral sciences lecturer at Saint James School of Medicine St. Vincent; Gaden Osborne, MD, consultant neurologist at Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre; and Jaideep Kapur, MBBS, PhD, director of the University of Virginia Brain Institute and professor of neuroscience and neurology at UVA.
Clarke opened the session with an introductory statement about epilepsy care and why it is fiscally and morally beneficial for governmental investment. Other topics included fiscal challenges in managing epilepsy, access challenges in the face of natural and man-made disasters, IGAP optimization, and social ills experienced by persons with epilepsy. Clarke concluded the session with a Q&A segment focused on sustainability of care and future engagement.
