| International Bureau for Epilepsy | |
| Formation: | 1961 |
| Abbreviation: | IBE |
| Founding Location: | Washington DC, USA |
| Type: | Nonprofit organisation |
| Website: | https://www.ibe-epilepsy.org/ |
The International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) is a non-for-profit started in 1961[1] which aims to improve the social condition and quality of life of people with epilepsy.[2] The organization addresses social problems such as employment, education, driving license restrictions and public awareness.[3] Its members are from both the lay public and a professional background.[4] IBE has a network of 140 chapters in 100 countries[5] and often collaborates with the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) to increase understanding about epilepsy.[6]
The IBE was formed in 1961, after it was recognised at the ILAE congress the need to establish an organisation that specifically addressed the psycho-social aspects of epilepsy. In 1997, the IBE, the World Health Organization and the ILAE launched the 'Out of the Shadows' Global Campaign against epilepsy,[7] with the aim of improving acceptability, treatment, services and epilepsy preventions globally, as well as working towards closing the treatment gap.[8]
The International Bureau for Epilepsy consists of chapters representing national epilepsy associations globally, organized into seven regional structures.[9]
International Epilepsy Day began in 2015 and is organised each year on the second Monday of February by the IBE and the ILAE aimed at raising awareness of epilepsy.[10] In recent years, International Epilepsy Day drives the implementation of the World Health Organization's (WHO) 10-year Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and other Neurological Disorders (IGAP).[11]