Conference on epilepsy

The Caritas Malta Epilepsy Association will be organising a full-day national conference on February 22. The theme this year will be Children with Epilepsy and Education and will be held at the New Dolmen Hotel, Bugibba, between 9 a.m. and 4.30 p.m.

This seminar is part of the activities being organised by the National Commission for Persons with a Disability (KNPD) for European Year for Disability 2003. It will consist of a number of talks as well as an interactive workshop.

President Guido de Marco and Mgr Victor Grech, director of Caritas Malta, shall open the event while the keynote speech on Europe's campaign on epilepsy will be given by John Bowis, a former British health minister. Mr Bowis was on the committee which presented the European Parliament with the "The European White Paper on Epilepsy".

Dr Louis Galea and Mr Evarist Bartolo will speak on education in relation to epilepsy. Dr Doriette Soler, paediatrician, and Dr Paul Bartolo, educational psychologist, shall speak on the learning abilities of children with epilepsy. Dr John Chaplin from University Hospital, Lund, Sweden, will address the conference on "Epilepsy in Children: Interdisciplinary Aspects". Alfred Bezzina, assistant director, KNPD, will do the winding up following the afternoon workshops.

For more information contact: Godwin Cachia on 2137-0381 or e-mail: godcac@global.net.mt or Dr Janet Mifsud of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Malta on 2340-2845, fax: 2132-0281, or e-mail: janet.mifsud@ um.edu.mt .