Is your organisation working to tackle stigma?
Are you a patient advocate raising awareness of the issue?
We want to hear from you!
EFNA’s Advocacy Awards will take place during Brain Awareness Week, in March 2021. These awards recognise the contribution of an individual or group to the development and promotion of advocacy for people with neurological disorders in Europe. On this occasion, the awards will focus on the topic of ‘Action against stigma’.
Two award winners will each receive a prize of €2,000 to assist with the continuation and development of their projects.
The categories are:
1. ‘Action against stigma’ – Outstanding achievement by an organisation
This category is open to any non-profit organisation working in the neurology/brain-health area who is currently carrying out work that addresses the issue of stigma. This could be through awareness campaigns, training/workshops or other activities. Projects do not need to directly mention stigma but should address its biggest cause – lack of understanding. This might be addressed among medical professionals, employers, policy-makers or the general public.
Click here for entry requirements and entry form
2. ‘Action against stigma’ – Outstanding achievement by a patient advocate
This category is open to any individual who is working to address the issue of stigma against neurological disorders/brain health issues. This person could be a patient advocate, a health professional, employer/educator or a policy-maker, for example.
The winning individual will select a non-profit organisation of their choice to receive the prize fund, with whom they can work alongside on furthering their goals.
Click here for entry requirements and entry form
Further notable applications may be acknowledged with awards of commendation.
Deadline for applications – Friday, December 4th, 2020.
Award winners will be invited to present their work and receive their award at EFNA’s workshop – ‘Taking action on Stigma against Neurological Disorders’, which will take place during Brain Awareness Week, 2021. Note: This may be a virtual event.
Taking action on Stigma against Neurological Disorders
According to the World Health Organisation, stigma is a major cause of discrimination and exclusion: it affects people‘s self-esteem, disrupts their family relationships and limits their ability to socialise and obtain housing and jobs.
In July 2020, the European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA) published the results of their survey on stigma and neurological disorder. 92% of survey respondents reported feeling affected by stigma on account of the neurological disorder they live with. Lack of understanding is seen as the biggest cause of this, followed by myths/misconceptions about these disorders and their invisible nature.
EFNA plans to prioritise actions to deal with stigma in our 2021 workplan by holding a workshop during Brain Awareness Week and focusing on stigma for our next Advocacy Awards and our annual grants scheme.
