4th Congress of the EAN – European Academy of Neurology
Prof. Amadou Gallo Diop, Dakar, Senegal and Prof. Riadh Gouider, Tunis, Tunisia, receive the EAN Service award.
16 June 2018: From left to right: Prof. F. Fazekas, President – Elect to EAN, Prof. A. Gallo Diop (Senegal), Prof. R. Gouider (Tunisia), Prof. G. Deuschl, President to EAN
The EAN Service Award honors neurologists for their service to European Neurology and EAN.
The 2018 recipients, Prof. Amadou Gallo Diop (Senegal) and Prof. Riadh Gouider (Tunisia) have contributed exceptionally to develop neurology in Africa and to strengthen the relations between African neurology and EAN. The EAN Service Award comes with an official document and a personalized golden hammer.
Prof. Gallo Diop is professor of Neurology, Epileptology and Neurosciences at the University Hospital of Dakar, Senegal. His worldwide scientific experiences have given him an international and open vision and approach towards global health care and education.
He has contributed to the development of neurology in Africa in several ways: Open to all is the Neuro-Staff Africa Directory that he created. A database that contributes to improving Africa’s communication with the world. In 2005, he proposed two initiatives: ‘Caravans for general neurology’ and ‘Caravans for Epilepsy’. This concept entails a two-day session of consulting on a large number of people, training health staff, meeting community leaders and caring for patients residing far from capital cities in resources-limited areas. These innovative public health methodologies aim at contributing and reducing the neuro-diagnostic and treatment gap.
As WHO consultant, Prof. Gallo Diop gathered health- and social professionals with patients and their families, to set up the Senegalese League against Epilepsy (ILEA). He participated in the WHO Global Campaign against Epilepsy and was key to the publication of the first WHO advocacy report on “Epilepsy in the WHO African Region: Bridging the Gap.” An advocacy and policy document for aiming at raising awareness fight against taboos and discrimination towards people with epilepsy.
The award given to Prof. Gallo Diop had wide resonance and he received personal congratulations from Senegal’s President Mr. Macky Sall.
Pr. Riadh Gouider is currently Professor of Neurology and head of department of Neurology at the Razi Hospital in Tunis. He is heading an MS project center in Tunisia. He is principal investigator of many international clinical trials, mainly in the field of Multiple Sclerosis. He belongs to the leaders of African Neurology and is one of the personalities who have given it an international standing.
He has been President of the Pan-Arab Union of Neurological Societies – PAUNS. He is Vice President of the Tunisian Society of Telemedicine and E-Health. Prof. Riadh Gouider is chair of the Tunisian national strategic plan committee “Alzheimer and related diseases” since 2016.
He started an active cooperation with European neurology already with EFNS in 2007. A cooperation that continued with the group of EAN Corresponding Institutional members that brings together national neurological societies of 10 countries of the Mediterranean AREA. Prof. Gouider is advisor to EAN for the work with the Corresponding Institutional members to EAN. From 2008 to 2010, he was the WFN-World Federation of Neurology Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from 2008 to 2010, which allowed him the addition of the Arab countries in the WFN.
Prof. Riadh Gouider was elected Trustee to the WFN in 2014 and re-elected in 2017 for a second term.
Together with Prof. Gallo Diop, he participated in the creation of the African Academy of Neurology – AFAN of which both are Honorary Members. In 2017, Prof. Riadh Gouider co-organised and hosted the 1st congress of AFAN together with the biannual PAUNS-meeting and the congress of the Tunisian Neurological Society in Hammamet, Tunisia.
Prof. Gallo Diop and Prof. R. Gouider have been involved in the EAN Africa initiative since its very start in 2008. They are among the initiative’s inspiring faculty and the drivers of the work with Africa.
The EAN Board looks forward to continuing this fruitful cooperation.
