Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Academy of Neurology decided to launch a taskforce on Gender and Diversity in Neurology, with the overall mission to increase awareness and improve knowledge about sex, gender, ethnic and racial differences and disparities in neurological disorders. The main aim is to improve outcomes and care of people with neurological disorders.
The overall goals of this Task Force have been defined as follows:
• To increase awareness of sex, gender, ethnic and racial differences, and diversity in neurological disorders
• To understand the aetiology of these differences
• To recognise their impact on clinical practice and research in neurology
• To promote gender equality in care for neurological disorders
• To disseminate knowledge on gender and diversity issues in neurology
• To foster healthcare systems changes.
This Task Force represents a new and broader vision of the discipline of neurology, in line with the modern concept of personalised medicine. Its members have not been idle in the last year – many new activities are ongoing, ranging from congress sessions to surveys, which will result in interesting articles. Between these activities, the Task Force is mapping gender sensitivity in neurology by performing systematic reviews, starting with the most prevalent disorders like epilepsy and headache. Liaising with other scientific or subspecialty organisations is another key task.
The current Task Force will become a Coordinating Panel by March 2022. By taking this step, the Task Force turns into a permanent part of the EAN structures with a defined set of rules, tasks and privileges, reflecting the importance the EAN Board attributes to this field.
The new Coordinating Panel allows for more representation from EAN members which is of utmost importance to contribute to and achieve its mission. The Panel will consist of up to two representatives from each Scientific Panel, who will form a core group. This will allow each subspecialty to be represented. In addition, the Coordinating Panel welcomes all Individual members who are interested in this topic.
The activities of the Panel, which will correspond with those of the Scientific Panels, will be supervised by a Management Group, selected from among the current Task Force members and led by two Co-chairs, Professors Elena Moro and Marianne de Visser.
