As the EU turns global brain health commitments into national action, member states remain far apart on epilepsy care
Global guidelines commit EU governments to make neurological conditions a national priority, yet epilepsy care still varies sharply across Europe. A recent report urges the EU to harmonise standards, embed epilepsy in its non-communicable disease policy, and build mental health into the standard epilepsy care budget.
Europe has a shared plan for neurological health. Turning it into equal care is another matter. In 2022, the World Health Assembly adopted the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders, known as IGAP. It runs to 2031 and commits member states to fold neurological disorders into their national public health agendas.
But across the continent, countries are acting on that commitment at very different speeds.
A 2025 report by The European House Ambrosetti (TEHA), an Italian think tank, with Angelini Pharma, Brain Health in Uncertain Times: A Strategic Investment for Europe’s Future, sets out the barriers. Service delivery is fragmented.
