The Institute of Spinal Cord Injury (ISCI) was founded by Icelandic O.R. nurse, Audur Gudjonsdottir in 2007. Audur has campaigned strongly for an Icelandic led international effort to improve spinal cord injury (SCI) treatment since her daughter became paralyzed in a car accident 20 years ago.
Audur’s vision is to gather scientific knowledge, now existing on the spinal cord, in one faculty and to be researched by prominent doctors and scientists. She believes that there are currently many options available that are not being utilized for spinal cord treatment and the whole scientific area is to be organized and evaluated so that a policy for cure can be instigated.
The Icelandic Government works with ISCI to help foster global awareness with relevant organizations such as the WHO, Council of Europe and the Nordic Council of Ministers.
7.11.2011
An Icelandic proposal that the Nordic countries should organise a joint project to search for an effective remedy/cure for spinal cord injuries has been approved by the Nordic Council, meeting this week in Copenhagen.
Icelandic politician Siv Friedleifsdottir put the motion forward in her capacity as chairman of the Nordic Council Welfare Committee. The motion was passed unanimously.
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27.10.2011
A proposal submitted by the spinal cord injury awareness initiative, Institute of Spinal Cord Injury Iceland (ISCI), has now been passed through for final consideration by the Nordic Council.
The proposal for an organised search to find a cure for spinal cord injuries will be addressed at the Copenhagen meeting of the Nordic Council, which takes place at the end of the month.
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30.6.2011
Traffic accidents were among the topics discussed at last week’s meeting of Nordic welfare ministers. Welfare minister Gudbjartur Hannesson said in his speech at the meeting that traffic accidents were one of the main causes of injury, especially among young people.
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3.6.2011
At the 64th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization
currently in session in Genf, Anna Lilja Gunnarsdottir, Permanent
Secretary in Iceland’s Welfare Ministry, gave a speech in which she
mentioned that the United Nations’ Decade of Road Safety was just
beginning. She said that the authorities in Iceland had decided on
several actions relating to the decade, including giving support to the
Institute of Spinal Cord Injury Iceland (ISCI). Almost half of the
people who suffer spinal cord injuries and paralysis because of
accidents are injured in traffic accidents.
9.3.2011
The Government of Iceland has decided to entrust the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Welfare and the Ministry of the Interior with investigating the manner in which Iceland can promote greater international understanding of spinal cord injury.
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