Brain health at UNGA

At this year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) there were fantastic side events on brain health, reflecting the increasing global prominence of the issue. If the brain brings together so many different functions in our bodies, in turn the concept of brain health unites a myriad of different public policy ideas. From meetings on brain capital (read more here), to a summit on brain health (read more here) and a debate on the brain economy (read more here), UNGA brought together many perspectives and thinkers. The World Dementia Council hosted a dinner on brain health, affirming its importance for the field. The sheer vibrancy of the activity reflected not only excitement but also a recognition of opportunity: by aligning efforts across conditions, stakeholders see the potential to make a significant and lasting impact.

The world is ageing and ageing rapidly, as AARP highlighted during their UNGA side event. By 2050, in the U.S. alone, it is projected there will be 13 million people living with dementia, costing the country $1 trillion annually. There can be no long-term public policy strategy to meet the ageing society that does not address the numbers and cost of dementia. No successful public health strategy on brain health can omit how to prevent Alzheimer’s, how to slow the development of symptoms and how to slow disease.

Also at UNGA, for the first time, dementia was included in the political declaration that came out of the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting on the Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health. This is a clear call to action for the global community to address dementia as a NCD. This theme was explored at a meeting hosted by ADI during UNGA week. At the meeting Dr Joanne Pike, President and CEO of Alzheimer’s Association and Chair of the World Dementia Council highlighted how the U.S. POINTER Study, a two-year, randomized controlled clinical trial, found that a structured lifestyle intervention — focusing on physical activity, nutrition, cognitive and social engagement, and heart health monitoring — significantly helped protect thinking and memory. This is game-changing information that provides a new foundation for how we approach public policy on brain health, Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The WDC is committed to building on this progress and fostering deeper collaboration across governments, health systems and civil society. Our programme of work, “From Discovery to Delivery: Advancing Brain Health” will over the next twelve months, through a series of dialogues and insight meetings, explore how we can bridge the gap between scientific breakthroughs and delivery in health systems. Find out more here https://www.worlddementiacouncil.org/brainhealth 

Lenny Shallcross

Executive Director, World Dementia Council