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The Lifetime Achievement Award
This award honours those persons with a record of achievement
in work against epilepsy, and is the highest honour presented by IBE and ILAE. This year two people were chosen to receive this award:
 Prof
KS Mani was the co-founder of the Indian Epilepsy Association
and had been Vice-President of IBE and Chairperson of the ILAE Commission
on Developing Countries. He also played a major role in the description
of epidemiology in India. Public education and the education of
general practitioners was a major objective for him. Once convinced
of the value of an objective, he was not easily deterred-it took
twelve years to have a clause citing epilepsy as a disqualification
for legal marriage in the Indian Marriage Act deleted. While Prof
Mani was aware that he had been chosen to receive the award, following
a short illness he died just before it was presented.
 Prof
Harry Meinardi shaped his career, specializing in neuro-psychiatry
and studies in basic science as a Rockefeller Institute fellow. In 1968
he became director of the Special Centre for Epilepsy in Heemstede. He
was Honorary Editor of the IBE newsletter and IBE President. In the Netherlands
he held several executive posts including the presidency of the Dutch
chapters of IBE and ILAE. In 1984 he was appointed to the Chair of Epileptology
at Nijmegen University. The following year he was elected Secretary General
of ILAE and four years later President. Over the years he has been presented
with many award. Now, even in retirement he remains actively involved
in the world of epilepsy.
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