The World Federation of Neurology and the challenges in Environment Neurology

Environmental

Neurology

The

World

Federation

of

Neurology

and

the

challenges

in

Environment

Neurology

J.

Reis

*

,

W.

Grisold

,

S.

O¨ztu¨rk

,

M.

Wasay

,

G.C.

Roma´n

,

W.M.

Carroll

a_{WorldFederationofNeurology,ChesterHouseFulhamGreen,81-83,FulhamHighStreet,SW63JALondon,United}

Kingdom

b_{DepartmentofNeurology,FacultyofMedicine,UniversityofStrasbourg,CHRUdeStrasbourg,3,rueduLoir,67205}

Oberhausbergen,France

c_{LudwigBoltzmann Institute forExperimental und Clinical Traumatology, 13, Donaueschingenstraße, 13A-1200}

Wien,Germany

d_{DepartmentofNeurology,FacultyofMedicine,Selc¸ukUniversity,Konya,Turkey} e_{WorldBrainDayCommittee,WFN,AgaKhanUniversity,Karachi,Pakistan} f

MethodistHospital,Houston,TX,UnitedStates

g

WeillCornellMedicalCollege,NewYork,UnitedStates

h_{DepartmentofNeurology,SirCharlesGairdnerHospital,WA6009Nedlands,Australia}

TheWorldFederationofNeurology(WFN),shortly afterits establishment in 1957, manifested a keen interest in the environmentanditsrelationtoneurologicaldiseases.Itsfirst

President, Ludo Van Bogaert, was convinced that Tropical Neurology(aclimateandgeographicalenvironmenttype)was soimportant thatitwarrantedthefullsupport oftheWFN

revue neurologique 175(2019) 742–744

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Articlehistory:

Received25August2019 Accepted28August2019

Availableonline17September2019

Keywords:

WorldFederationofNeurology WorldBrainDay

EnvironmentalNeurologySpecialty Group

TurkishNeurologicalSociety RencontresInternationalesSante´ Environnement

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SinceitsestablishmenttheWorldFederationofNeurology(WFN)hasmanifestedakeen interestintheenvironmentanditsrelationtoneurologicaldiseases.Thus,in2007theWFN renamedthe‘‘NeurotoxicologicalResearchGroup’’to‘‘EnvironmentalNeurologyResearch Group’’. In thisshort article,wereview somerecent events whichillustrate the WFN involvementinEnvironmentalNeurologyaswellitsconcernsaboutglobalhealthmatters involvingenvironmentalissues.

#_{2019ElsevierMassonSAS.Allrightsreserved.}

*Correspondingauthorat:3,rueduLoir,67205Oberhausbergen,France. E-mailaddress:jacques.reis@wanadoo.fr(J.Reis).

Available

online

at

ScienceDirect

www.sciencedirect.com

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurol.2019.08.006

which ledto threecenters ofthe Commission onTropical Neurology to be established; one of each in Asia, South AmericaandAfrica.In2007,theWFNrenamedthe ‘‘Neuro-toxicologicalResearchGroup’’to‘‘EnvironmentalNeurology Research Group’’, following a proposal of late Prof Leon Prockop(Tampa)andwhowasthefirstchair[1].Withoutthat vision,thetopicofenvironmentmayneverhaveattainedits appropriatepositionwithinNeurology.

Environmental Neurology promotes a translational approach of neurological diseases which is enriched by multipledisciplines,evenoutside the medicalarea(Fig. 1). The WFN continues its support for the environment and Tropical Neurology through its Tropical and Geographic Neurology, its Migrant Neurology and its Environmental Neurology Specialty Groups. Since its inception, the WFN hasspontaneously adoptedalarge definitionof‘‘the Envi-ronment’’ considering first the global issues (climatic and geographicalfactors)andthenmorerecently,the psychoso-cialandsocietalchallenges(migrations)andthe environmen-tal part in neurological diseases. This is line with Albert Einstein’s statement ‘‘The environment is everything that isn’tme.’’Evenso,theenvironmentalrisksfactorsfordiseases persehaveuntilrecentlynotbesufficientlyconsidered.

Theincreasedawarenessoftheenvironmentalchallenges ledtoanimportantinnovation. In2017 inKyoto,the WFN chosetoaddress airqualityinits annual WorldBrain Day (WBD) [2]. The World Brain Day in 2018 was dedicated to ‘‘Clean Air forBrain Health’’, which was promoted by the EnvironmentalNeurologySpecialtyGroup[3,4].Ithadalarge impactinthemediaworldwideandtheWFNwasabletoraise theawarenessofneurologistsgloballyforthisimportanttopic

[5].

Theglobal and diffuse chemical contamination impacts the nervous system beyond our common knowledge of ‘‘Neurotoxicology’’.Onalargescalethishasbeen demons-tratedinthemostcommonneurologicaldisorderstroke,in

2018 when the Global Burden of Diseasereported a study showing clearly the impact of air pollution both of the outdoor-ambient and indoor-household air [6]. The WFN considers that environmental pollution is a major threat andcallsforglobalactionbytheWorldHealthOrganization (WHO),itsmemberStatesandnon-Stateactors.Inaddition, the WFNwas able topoint toemergentand often ignored threats,asthecontaminationofwaterresources,notonlyby industrial pollution, but also by several drugs as used in Oncology,NeurologyandPsychiatry[7].

AnotherWFNresearchgroup’sinitiativewassuccessfulin 2018.TheWFNhassupported theIntropicon(International TropicalandGeographicNeurologyConference)meetingheld inconjunctionwiththeBrazilianSocietyofNeurologyandthe Pan American Congressof Neurology in Sao Paulo,Brazil, whichwasheldinOctober2018[8].Infectiousdiseasesand specificrisks(snakebites)inthetropicalzone,werethemain topics, underlining the tremendousplaceofcommunicable diseases in Neurology. The WFN has been active in other global healthmatters involving environmentalissuesmost notablyWHOconferencessuchastheRegionalWHOmeeting inSeptember2017(Budapest)andSeptember2018(Rome),the MontevideoWHOGlobalconferenceonNon-Communicable Diseases(NCDs)inOctober2017,theWHOgeneralassemblyin New York (2018) and the Global Burden of Neurological Disorders World Summit in Auckland New Zealand in November2018.AllwereattendedbyseniorWFNexecutives whomadecontributions[9–11].

TheWFNbringsalsoitssupporttonationalneurological societies’ initiatives. A good example is provided by the Turkish Neurological Society (TNS). The engagement in environmental concernsledthe TNStoparticipate with18 other Civil Society Organizationsthat focus on health and nature conservationinTurkey,to thecreation ofan inter-national platform dedicated to the ‘‘Right to Clean Air Platform’’ in2015 [12]. Obviouslythe TNSwas inaleading Fig.1–EnvironmentalNeurologyprovidesatranslationalapproachofneurologicaldiseases,whichisenrichedbymultiple disciplines.

positionforthe22July2018WorldBrainDay’sevents[13].The President of the TNS (Prof. Serefnur O¨ ztu¨rk) and many membersofthesocietycontributedwithnumerousinterviews onthesocialmediaandconventional media(TV,radioand newsweeks)toinitiateanactiontoreduceairpollutionand harmfuleffectsofenvironment.Prof.O¨ ztu¨rkhighlightedthe importanceofincreasingneurologicaldiseasesburdeninthe world and in particularly in Turkey. She pointed to the responsibilityofthesocietiesandthegovernmentalbodiesto preventriskfactorsincludingairpollutionatthemeetingfor ‘‘Clean Air for Brain Health in Istanbul’’. [14]. In addition, duringitsAnnualNeurologyCongress,theTNShasintroduced adedicatedsessiononEnvironmentalNeurology.

The International Meeting on Environmental Health named in full here (RISE) has gained an international recognition thanks to the WFN [15–17]. RISE (In French, RencontresInternationalesSante´ Environnement)addresses theimpactofenvironmentalfactorsandnotablyairpollution onthe matureand the developingbrainand increasesthe spectrumofNeurotoxicology,byincludingindoorpollutionas wellasbasicprinciplesofNeurotoxicology.

This on-going interest in environmental issues is an important endeavour for the WFN. Several initiatives are examined as the WFN and its regional and member organisationsseektostrengthenitseffortsinthisareaand topromotebrainhealth,notablywithaclosercollaboration withtheWHO.Developingcountriesarehardesthitareasin termsofairpollutionanditshealthconsequences[18,19],but alsoinindoorpollution.Awarenessresearchandprevention relatedtothisimportant topicindeveloping countriesare limitedandoftenalsohamperedbyresources.WorldBrain Day activities have introduced this topic to media and encouragedWFNmembersocietiestowardsawarenessand action.Butmoreneedstobedone.TheWorldCongressof Neurology2019(Dubai)isorganizingasessionon environ-ment and Neurology to promote scientific interest, and update it members on the present state of activities for environment.

Disclosure

of

interest

Theauthorsdeclarethattheyhavenocompetinginterest.

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