A brain health plan for Africa hopes to unlock funding by framing it within existing priorities such as maternal and child health, lifestyle-related diseases and the social determinants of health.
The Brain Health Plan for Africa, launched today (5 November) by the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative at an event hosted by the Science for Africa Foundation, aims to spur economic growth in Africa by focusing on brain health.
“Investing in brain health is investing in innovation, productivity, and resilience, the very foundations of our continent’s long-term growth,” said Tom Kariuki, CEO of the Science for Africa Foundation.
“By advancing African-led research, strengthening data and health systems, and fostering partnerships that turn discovery into action, we can unlock the full potential of Africa’s minds to drive inclusive growth and prosperity.”
Wider use of existing brain health treatments could add $6.2 trillion to global economic output every year from 2050 by improving productivity and labour force participation, according to estimates produced by the McKinsey Health Institute.
The launch event was part of the global Brain House tour, launched at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, and then taken to global meetings such as the G7 and the UN General Assembly.
The five year plan – developed by organisations such as WHO, Africa CDC, the Aga Khan University and the University of the Witwatersrand – sets goals across six strategic areas: advocacy, brain economy, data/digital/AI, repurposing resources, breaking down silos and funding.
“By 2030, half of all new workers in the world will come from Sub-Saharan Africa,” said George Vradenburg, chairman of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative.
“To harness the potential economic and innovative potential of those workers, we must invest in their brain health – the ‘brain capital’ of Africa is dependent on the skills of creativity, problem-solving ability, and imagination so badly needed in the 21st-century job market.”