Last month, the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), through its Brain Health Mission (BHM), hosted the European Brain Health Summit in Brussels and online. The event, themed "Brain Health for a Resilient Europe," brought together a wide range of perspectives from healthcare, industry and non-governmental organisations to discuss strategies to build brain health across Europe. Our Director for Research, Angela Bradshaw, joined the meeting for Alzheimer Europe, which is a Strategic partner of the Brain Health Mission. The Brain Health Mission, launched by EAN in 2022, aims to position brain health as a shared European priority. The collaborative initiative promotes prevention, early detection, and effective interventions for neurological conditions, so people affected by these diseases receive the care and support they need.
The summit, which was moderated by Katrina Sichel, commenced with a welcome address by Paul Boon, Past President of EAN and Co-Chair of the Brain Health Mission. He emphasised the critical role of brain health in ensuring societal resilience and the need for collaborative efforts to address neurological challenges. The summit featured a series of presentations and panel discussions. Elena Moro, current President of EAN, opened the first roundtable session on “Building a Resilient Europe through Brain Health Promotion”, highlighting the importance of integrating brain health into broader health policies. Jan Schadrack from Roche discussed advancements in neuroscience and rare diseases, while Robin Lemmens, a Fellow of the European Stroke Organisation, addressed stroke prevention and management. Andreas Demetriades, Past President of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies, provided insights into neurosurgical interventions. Tomás Ryan, Chair of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Advocacy Committee, shared how research innovations can translate to interventions that can support brain health. A significant portion of the summit was dedicated to the implementation of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Intersectoral Global Action Plan (iGAP) on epilepsy and other neurological disorders. Tarun Dua, Head of the Brain Health Unit at WHO, provided a keynote address that gave an overview of iGAP's objectives and progress.
A second roundtable discussion on iGAP implementation was opened by Claudio Bassetti, Vice-President of the European Brain Council, who shared his experiences of developing the Swiss Brain Health Plan. Paul Boon discussed strategies for achieving iGAP goals in Europe, emphasising the need for education of neurologists on brain health. Donna Walsh, CEO of the International Bureau for Epilepsy, and Konrad Rejdak, Past President of the Polish Neurological Society, shared perspectives on national implementation efforts. DAgnese Cattaneo, Chief Medical Officer at Angelini Pharma, highlighted the role of industry in supporting brain health initiatives. The summit concluded with remarks from Johan Van Overtveldt, Member of the European Parliament, and a member of the European Alzheimer’s Alliance. Johan reflected on the urgent need for public health commitments to promote brain health and the value of collaboration and cooperation across sectors and stakeholders. A recording of the full programme is available for viewing on the EAN website:
https://www.eanpages.org/2025/03/24/watch-on-demand-european-brain-health-summit-2025/
