At the XXth World congress of Neurology in Marrakesh, yesterday a group of French neurologists (Dr Christophe Vial from Lyon, Pr Pierre Krystkowiak from Amiens,) with Pr Ouafae Messouak from Fes (Morocco) and I run a workshop of Botulinum toxin injection techniques in Neurology. It was a great success with more than 45 people attending and working with us all day. We had colleagues from Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, the Emirates, India, Thailand, Belgium, Norway and USA. Mr. Olivier Seguin from the drug company Allergan kindly provided mannequins (called Elvis and Elvira !) which help us to do some “hands on” practices.
It was a very interactive teaching where we met our colleagues in particular from Africa. The BTX services in Africa already exist, in particular in Maghreb where there are very active (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco). In the other part of Africa, and the Middle East the development of the services is based on individual’s initiative of neurologists, with an interest in movement disorders.
Talking with our African colleagues, we felt the need for setting up an African and Middle East Neurotoxin Network (AMENN), following the model of the British Neurotoxin Network (the BNN). It will help the neurologists to be less isolated in their practices, and to allow African patients to access services locally without travelling at great cost to Europe for treatment many times a year.
“With Africa, for Africa” was the motto of this world congress.
Picture of the workshop faculty
Dr Marie-Helene Marion (London BTX centre), Dr Christophe Vial (Lyon, France), Pr Ouafae Messouak (Fes, Marocco), Pr Pierre Krystowiak (Amiens, France)
Infodystonia 