Brussels, 17 October 2024 – Today, EBC’s Vice-President, Prof. Claudio Bassetti, addresses the European Parliament Subcommittee on Public Health (SANT) meeting in Brussels on neurological health, presenting not only on the burden of neurological disorders but the increasing momentum around prioritising brain health and brain capital in Europe and beyond.

As Europe faces unprecedented challenges around brain health, the European Brain Council (EBC) and its community have been rallying behind a call for increased attention to brain health, calling on Members of the European Parliament for urgent action to tackle the burden of brain disorders, neurological and mental alike, in the current mandate.

Neurological and mental make of brain disorders the #1 cause of disability and #2 cause of death

The brain is the most complex organ of the human body. Understanding how the brain works, how brain diseases progress (basic research) and finding treatments and cures for these diseases (applied research) is one of humanity’s greatest challenges. There are 400 classified neurological conditions and 200 psychiatric disorders, which include epilepsy, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, depression, stroke, schizophrenia, headache, anxiety disorders, chronic pain and rarer brain disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), dystonia and ataxia affecting millions of EU citizens of all ages.

These conditions fall under the term “brain conditions”, acting as an umbrella encompassing both neurological and mental disorders. Brain health is a growing priority across Europe and worldwide, exerting a massive toll on patients and their families, but also on labour markets, economies, and societies at large. Neurological and mental conditions make of brain disorders the #1 cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide [1], accounting for over 18% of total health loss [2]. And this burden will keep on growing as the European population ages.

As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), brain health is “the state of brain functioning […] allowing a person to realize their full potential over the life course, irrespective of the presence or absence of disorders.” [3] In the context of the upcoming European Partnership for Brain Health, the European Commission chose a more comprehensive understanding of brain health, defined as “a concept that encompasses neural development, neuroplasticity, brain functioning, and recovery across the life course, including mental health and wellbeing elements.” [4]

Increased momentum to address brain health and brain capital as a priority.

Faced with this urgent need for action, the WHO has adopted multiple plans for mental health, for dementia and for epilepsy and other neurological disorders, thereby requiring from Member States to commit to addressing the burden of brain disorders in a cohesive manner, notably by establishing national brain strategies by 2030-2031.
This momentum has been echoed at the European Union level, with the recent Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health, the Healthier Together initiative, the Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, and more specifically the upcoming European Partnership for Brain Health.

However, in the current context of increased focus on competitiveness and innovation, an overarching plan for the brain at the EU level would allow for streamlining of resources, avoiding duplication of efforts while maximising policy impacts for the millions of Europeans living with a brain condition, but also their families, carers, and societies at large.

The fact is, understanding the brain is not just to address a “burden”. It is also to allow people to thrive: to live in health and in happiness, to power our labor markets and economies, and to build for future generations. Brain health has an increasingly critical role in our economies, predicated on the concept of “Brain Capital” [5] – encompassing an individual’s social, emotional, and cognitive resources – with the world increasingly putting a premium on brain skills and brain health.

This broader understanding of the crucial role played by the brain as the powerhouse of our societies has recently been acknowledged by Cameroon, currently chairing the United Nations General Assembly, through its Yaoundé Declaration, calling for “Brain Health in All Policies” [6]. It is now imperative that the European Union follows suit by developing a comprehensive and overarching coordination plan for the brain, support the development of national brain strategies, and ensure that these efforts can trickle down at national level.

Calling for an Intergroup on Brain Health

Over 110 organisations and several MEPs have voiced support for stronger policy leadership and called for a dedicated EU Brain Health Plan and the establishment of a European Parliament Intergroup on Brain Health in the current mandate. This Intergroup would serve as a platform to foster collaboration between MEPs, experts, stakeholders, and civil society, but also as a crucial mechanism to coordinate current policy efforts, ensuring that brain health, brain research, and brain innovation receive the attention they deserve.

[1]: Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022–2031. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO, p:2.

[2]: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Seattle, WA: IHME, 2022.

[3]: “Brain Health”, World Health Organization.

[4]: “Designing a European Brain Health Landscape (CSA BrainHealth)”, European Commission.

[5]: Ibanez A, Eyre H, Brain capital, ecological development and sustainable environments, BMJ Ment Health 2023;26:e300803.

[6]: The Yaoundé Declaration, Njamnshi, Alfred K et al., The Lancet Neurology, Volume 23, Issue 10, 966 – 967