African leaders gather to pass the Yaounde declaration on Brain Economy, Brain Health and Brain Capital
Historic Yaoundé Declaration Paves Way for Africa's Global Leadership at United Nations General Assembly
By leading the way with the Yaoundé Declaration, Africa is establishing itself as a global thought leader on brain capital and brain health.— George Vradenburg, Founding Chairman of the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative
YAOUNDÉ, CAMEROON, July 26, 2024 /
EINPresswire.com/ -- Africa has taken a major step toward its commitment to brain health and research across the continent this week with the passage of the Yaoundé Declaration on Brain Economy, Brain Health, and Brain Capital during the African High-Level Science Summit in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The declaration, which was led by
Brain Africa and approved at a scientific technical meeting, will now be processed by the Cameroon Government. The declaration received immediate praise from the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC), a pioneering worldwide initiative to cure Alzheimer’s disease and improve brain health, which is bringing together the public, private and civic sectors worldwide to advance global action to build brain power and prevent brain disease.
“The Yaoundé Declaration marks a pivotal moment in our global fight against Alzheimer's and other brain diseases,” said George Vradenburg, Founding Chairman of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative. “Africa is recognizing that the brain power of its people can position the continent as the economic engine of the 21st Century and in doing so, avoid the tremendous financial strain that brain disorders are having on legacy health systems in currently more economically advanced regions.”
“The Yaoundé Declaration signals the continent’s commitment to brain research and to brain health across the life course, a commitment that Africa, with its currently ‘younger’ demographic, views as essential for Africa’s future economic, social and health development. By leading the way with the Yaoundé Declaration, Africa is establishing itself as a global thought leader on brain capital and brain health.”
The declaration will be presented and discussed at the first-ever
Nature Conference focused on brain health and dementia held on the African continent. “The Future of Dementia in Africa: Advancing Global Partnerships” is a free, invitation-only forum hosted by DAC, Nature Conferences and Aga Khan University, Sept. 11-12 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Next, the Yaoundé Declaration, a collaborative effort by leading neuroscience organizations, will be presented to the Cameroon Government as they prepare for the upcoming 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) Science Summit Brain Days. His Excellency Philemon Yang, former Prime Minister of Cameroon and current board chair of the Brain Research Africa Initiative, will assume the presidency of UNGA79 in September 2024, potentially elevating brain health issues on the global stage.
At UNGA, the
Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative, in alignment with the Yaoundé Declaration, will join the call for the following actions:
● Promotion of Brain Health. The establishment of international frameworks for the prevention of brain disorders and to support brain health
● Creation of a Global Brain Coalition. Formation of a council of leading organizations in the brain health space to identify and invest in brain health innovations.
● Establishment of a Global Brain Capital Centre. Sustainable funding for a center in Africa to build brain capital through research, innovation, and policy development.
● Collaboration Between High-Income and Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Encouraging partnerships to reduce disparities in research, clinical trials and primary and community health system strengthening.
● Formalization of the Declaration by the United Nations. Raising awareness and integrating brain capital into the post-Sustainable Development Goal agenda.
ABOUT THE DAVOS ALZHEIMER’S COLLABORATIVE
The Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative (DAC) is a pioneering worldwide initiative to cure Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, seeking to mirror the success of global efforts against infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Covid, and Malaria. DAC is extending global research beyond its current focus on traditional Western European ethnic populations into the highly diversified populations of the Global South, where the vast majority of those with Alzheimer’s live. By introducing lower- cost screening and diagnostic tools as well as new treatment and prevention modalities in primary and community health settings, DAC is driving implementation of health system solutions that are appropriate for worldwide application. DAC also promotes the vital importance of brain health throughout the lifespan by addressing cardiometabolic and lifestyle factors, especially in early and mid-life. Absent effective action at scale around the world, by 2050, more than 150 million families and half a billion people will be personally impacted by Alzheimer’s, creating a social, financial, economic, and global security disaster of historic proportions. DAC was launched in Davos in 2021 by the World Economic Forum and the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer's Disease. For more information, visit davosalzheimerscollaborative.org
Susan Oliver
Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative
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