The Czech Republic is among 138 countries which participated in the first International Epilepsy Day (IED) on February 9, 2015. It was designed to improve the awareness of epilepsy around the world and highlight the urgent need for increased research into this disease. The Czech Academy of Sciences held a press conference to highlight the observance. It was a joint initiative of the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE).