How does the Encephalitis Society support research?

Throughout Encephalitis Research Month, we will be talking about all things encephalitis research: why is research important, what the Encephalitis Society does to help research, as well as highlighting some of the key research figures and projects.

We support training and networking opportunities in low and middle-income countries

Here are a few ways that we have supported researchers and projects in LMICs.

NeuroAccess

NeuroAccess is a collaborative project between the Encephalitis Society and the University of Liverpool that aims to improve the care
of patients with encephalitis and other neurological problems in sub-Saharan Africa through improving education in clinical neurology.
Projects have been delivered in Mozambique and Zambia since 2013 which resulted in raising awareness, delivering education, and ultimately saving the lives of people affected by encephalitis and other neuro-infectious conditions. We also provided Neuro-Kits, which are
essential for the neurological examination.

Zincare, Zambia

The Encephalitis Society added its support to a new scheme which was helping to train neurologists in Zambia who would then continue
to train future generations. The training program included three adult neurology trainees and two paediatric neurology trainees. The
country, in south-central Africa, has a population of 16 million people and until recently did not have a single locally trained, full-time neurologist. The Society has provided funds to attend essential training and procure neurological equipment.

Dr Stanley Zimba, one of the neurologists to benefit from the training programme, said:

This programme has made a significant difference. All across the country patients are sent to us for a diagnosis and treatment. I have looked after a patient who had spent many years bouncing from one hospital to another, was unable to hold a job and eventually was being seen by psychiatry with no diagnosis. Now, she’s held on to a job for more than three months and she’s doing remarkably well. The impact has almost been immediate as there are more people on the ground to provide neurological care with an improvement
in the quality of care and in a few years’ time, our influence will spread to the different parts of the country as more people get trained.

Encephalitis Conference Bursaries

The Encephalitis Society grants help researchers and academics in LMIC to attend the annual Encephalitis Conference in London and its afferent satellite meetings in-person. This is a great opportunity for participants to learn, make connections with other clinicians and researchers in the field and take the learning back to their countries. This not only adds to the professional growth of an individual but also share knowledge and experience for the ultimate benefit of the patient. Since we launched them in 2019, we welcomed participants from Brazil, Malawi, Zambia, India, The Philippines, Cambodia and Ethiopia to attend our Conference in-person.

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June is Encephalitis Research Month.

And to celebrate, The Big Give is offering to DOUBLE every donation we receive this month - so for every £1 that is donated, we will receive another £1 on top.

Any money raised will go towards our Encephalitis Research Month appeal and projects which support researchers around the world.

If you would like to double your donation to the Encephalitis Society, visit the Big Give website.

Double your Donation