Closing the Global Neurology Gap: What the WFN's New White Book Reveals
The World Health Organization's Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (IGAP), adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2022, set a 2031 deadline for member states to close persistent gaps in neurology workforce, services and governance. With that midpoint now behind us, the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) has published The White Book on Global World Neurology, the first compendial attempt to map exactly how uneven that progress has been — country by country, income band by income band.
Edited by WFN president Wolfgang Grisold, WFN Secretary-General Steven L. Lewis, and Professors Riadh Gouider and Alla Guekht, the book benchmarks neurology department structures, subspecialty distribution, education pathways and workforce numbers against the World Bank's income classification and the North–South divide — the same framework used in IGAP reporting. For institutions building or defending a case for neurology investment, it offers something rare: comparable, structured data rather than isolated national reports.
Three things stand out for academic and institutional readers. First, the book's chapter on department structures gives libraries and policy units a reference model for what a well-resourced neurology service actually requires, useful well beyond any single country's borders. Second, the education chapter maps how neurology training pathways diverge sharply between high- and low-income regions — directly relevant to any institution advising on curriculum design or international fellowships. Third, three of its chapters (on public health, healthy brain promotion across the lifespan, and the WHO's own action plan) are published open access, making them citable and shareable without licensing friction.
For law and policy libraries tracking global health governance, medical libraries supporting neurology and public health faculties, and any institution engaged with WHO reporting cycles, this is a title worth having on the shelf before the next IGAP progress review.
Q&A
What is the WFN's White Book on Global World Neurology?
A 2026 reference work compiling data on neurology structure, workforce and education worldwide, produced by the World Federation of Neurology with input from the WHO and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
How does it relate to WHO's Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP)?
It uses the same regional and income-based framework as IGAP reporting, making it a practical reference for tracking progress toward the plan's 2031 targets.
Who edited the book?
WFN president Wolfgang Grisold, WFN Secretary-General Steven L. Lewis, and Professors Riadh Gouider and Alla Guekht.
Is any part of the book open access?
Yes — three chapters, covering public health, healthy brain promotion and the WHO action plan, are published open access.
Where can I buy The White Book on Global World Neurology?
Directly from CLNZ Books, with worldwide delivery.