Our mission

Raise awareness on spinal cord injury paralysis


Raise awareness on World Health Organization's Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders 2022 -2031 A75/10 Add.4

TOGETHER WE CAN FIND A CURE

Recording of Auður Guðjónsdóttir's speech at a meeting of the Nordic Council's Health Committee on 29 October 2024

ICSI - Institute of Spinal Cord Injury - Iceland

It is our belief at ISCI that there is a great deal of scientific knowledge in the international field of neuroscience that is not being used for those who suffer from damage, or disease, in the nervous system. To effectively utilize all this knowledge, we believe that an international organization, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), must take the lead in ensuring that all existing knowledge about the central nervous system is collected, analyzed, and synchronized using artificial intelligence (AI). The goal would be to identify common patterns within the dataset that could guide scientists towards discovering cure for neurological conditions, including spinal cord injury paralysis.


ISCI has reached out to numerous parties to highlight the urgent need for a cure for spinal cord injuries. For example, we sent two letters to Ban Ki-moon, then Secretary-General of the United Nations, requesting that neurological disorders be included in the UN's development goals. Although this was not achieved, with the support of Iceland's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, we succeeded in having the term "neurological disorders" included in the UN's action plan for diseases to be addressed by 2030.

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    We sent five letters to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, and ultimately, with the collaboration of Iceland's then-Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and Iceland's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, we succeeded in including the following terms in WHO's policy document (A75/10 Add.4): spinal cord injury, cure, and cure more neurological disorders. Moreover, we ensured that the term "Other Neurological Disorders" was added to the title of the WHO initiative, which was initially focused exclusively on epilepsy. 


    We at ISCI worked tirelessly to ensure these terms were included in WHO's A75/10 Add.4 on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders. However, despite our efforts, we have yet to convince WHO to actively pursue the consolidation, analysis, and synchronizing of existing global knowledge in neuroscience using artificial intelligence. We are convinced that such an initiative would lay the foundation for significant advancements for the benefit of all humankind.


    ISCI envisions that the Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, will make a public declaration on a global scale, emphasizing the urgent need to find a cure for paralysis. In this declaration, he would also call on financial philanthropists, AI experts, scientists, doctors, and the media to join forces and support WHO in launching an initiative to collect, analyze, and integrate the vast body of scientific knowledge using AI. Such efforts would deepen scientific understanding of the nervous system, paving the way for groundbreaking advancements. In the document A75/10 Add 4. On pages 30 and 31, the lines have been laid out to be presented to, the world. 


    If you are reading this, we kindly ask you to encourage your local authorities to promote A75/10 Add.4 at the WHO level and advocate for the consolidation of global scientific knowledge in the nervous system described earlier on this website.

TOGETHER WE CAN FIND A CURE

Our Initiatives

to Accelerate the Cure

Together we can find a cure

World Health Organization (WHO)

The decade of action for Epilepsy and other neurological disorders

In connection with the World Health Organization's (WHO) Decade of Action (2022–2031), we are raising awareness of spinal cord injuries to highlight the urgent need for improved research, treatment, and ultimately, a cure. Spinal cord injuries can have life-altering consequences, leaving individuals with paralysis and significantly reduced quality of life. Despite advances in medical science, effective treatments remain limited, and many affected individuals face lifelong challenges.


Our goal is to drive progress toward a cure for paralysis and other conditions affecting the nervous system. With coordinated action from governments and the scientific community, we can accelerate research and, hopefully, develop new treatments that offer hope to those living with spinal cord injuries.

In Tetros Ghebreyesus, director of WHO, latest speech on February 3rd, 2025, he said in the conclusion: 


"For us, change is a constant, and that's what our Member States told us when we started the reform, "change is a constant". We believe in continuous improvement, and we would welcome suggestions from the United States and all Member States for how we can serve you and the people of the world better. So, although we are doing a lot of reform, additional is welcome."


This serves as a call to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), focused on spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders, to urge their national authorities to request that the WHO make an appeal to enhance the understanding of how the nervous system functions.

ISCI project status

Latest updates & news

Speech to the Nordic Council’s Health Committee

October 29, 2024
Today, Auður Guðjónsdóttir addressed the Health Committee of the Nordic Council during this year’s Nordic Council Session , held in Iceland from October 28 to October 31 . As a dedicated advocate for spinal cord injury research and treatment, Auður emphasized the urgent need for increased collaboration and investment in finding a cure for paralysis. Her speech highlighted the critical role that the Nordic countries can play in advancing neurological research and improving the quality of life for those affected by spinal cord injuries. The Nordic Council’s commitment to health and innovation presents a unique opportunity to push for stronger initiatives, research funding, and policy changes that could accelerate breakthroughs in spinal cord injury treatment.  By addressing the Health Committee , Auður continues to champion the cause, ensuring that spinal cord injuries remain a priority issue on the Nordic agenda .

Thank you, Icelanders

August 6, 2024
Recently, the new advertisement from the Icelandic Spinal Cord Injury Institute, “A Call to the World to Cure Paralysis,” has been aired on RÚV and across social media. In Iceland alone, it has been viewed over a million times on social media platforms.

Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Reply

By Berglind Skúladóttir Sigurz • January 5, 2024
Letter nr. 3 from Amina J. Mohammed Reyply nr. 3 from UN
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