Brain Health Mission

What is the Brain Health Mission (BHM)?

Why do we need it?

Every human being, regardless of age, gender or background, deserves a healthy brain and a healthy nervous system.

Brain Health is everything!

From how you live, love, and laugh, to how well the system you live in supports your wellbeing and that of the people around you, brain health is everything. With the EAN’s Brain Health Mission we aim to equally support people around the world to take care of their brain health, to improve the system for those who live under unfair circumstances, and to push for equal education opportunities for doctors who can then get on board the Brain Health Mission.

It all starts the moment we are conceived and impacts us until our dying day - brain health steers our well-being. Not just ours; a lack of brain health even affects those around us, our families and friends. The numerous factors that influence our brain status reach from preservation factors like healthy food, mental activity, physical activities, social contacts, and good sleep, to protective and prevention aspects like cholesterol control, normal blood sugar, treatment of hearing impairment, avoidance of substance abuse, adaptive coping, treatment of hypertension, weight control, treatment of cataracts, treatment of depression, and avoidance of head trauma, to planned influences on one’s life like social policies, psychological influences, air quality, biomedical research, politics, economy, education, and environment.

EAN Brain Health Mission
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YOU deserve a healthy brain!

In order to realise your own abilities and optimise your cognitive, emotional, psychological and behavioural functioning to cope with life, you need to be in possession of good brain health. A healthy brain and nervous system are essential and integral to your health.

Every person should have the opportunity to keep their brain and body healthy and to get timely and appropriate treatment, rehabilitation and health care support if they have a neurological disorder.

The EAN Brain Health Strategy

Participate!

Who Can Join the BHM?

The aim of the Brain Health Mission is to involve everyone interested to support and contribute to the initiative. From doctors to caretakers to sportspeople to entrepreneurs to governments… Brain health is a uniting force that cannot be tackled alone. Together we can help everyone to increase their brain capacities, lead a healthier and happier life.

JOIN NOW

Resources

Related videos and podcasts

Find out more

"Brain Health goes beyond the absence of disease to embrace all brain functions (cognitive, emotional, behavioural, creative) which are necessary to cope with life situations and for a happy, productive, and creative life. In fact there is not health without brain health."
Prof. Claudio BassettiEAN Past President
"Brain health has to be individually and globally recognised as the opportunity to engage in future thinking and in strategic health planning. We have the opportunity to make changes now that can change the future of neurology and of brain health."
Prof. Matilde LeonardiEAN Communications Committee Chair
"I believe that taking care of a healthy brain and your nervous system is as important as brushing your teeth."
Anja SanderEAN Executive Director
"The EAN Brain Health Strategy identifies key steps needed to enable people to reach their full potential, maximise brain health and avoid brain diseases and their consequences. For the future health and prosperity of their citizens it is vital that nations rise to the challenges."
Prof. Tony MarsonEAN Secretary General
"A healthy brain is not only the absence of a neurological disorder; it also means prevention of neurological disorders and continuous development of the healthy brain capacity over the life-cycle of an individual."
Prof. Thomas BergerEAN Scientific Committee Chair

Brain Health Mission

With the Brain Health Mission we recognise that brain health goes beyond the absence of disease or treatment of disorders or rehabilitation. We encompass preventive measures to decrease the incidence of neurological disorders, enabling individuals to function and cope with life situations. Our vision is to create a brain-healthy environment in which everyone understands how to care for their brain health and nervous system, and has the ability to do so.

Contributing

1

Building a Brain Health Alliance: we want to bring together experts and stakeholders – pool knowledge and amplify the message through the power of collaboration.

Supporting

2

Supporting International and National/Regional Policy Makers: policy makers need to take the global burden of brain disorders seriously and make addressing them a priority. We are here to tell them why and how!

Fostering

3

Fostering Research: we need to know more! There are still many disorders for which we don’t yet understand the causes and for others we can vastly improve the lives of patients with enhanced treatments and rehabilitation. Join in! Support a project! Do a research project!

Promoting

4

Promoting Education: healthcare professionals need to learn a more holistic brain health approach. This means learning to understand the role of other professions and being aware of determinant and risk factors for brain disorders. Our mission will work to provide the right training and education.

Raising

5

Raising Public Awareness & Understanding: people need to take care of their brains. But to do that they need to know why this is important and how to maintain optimal brain health. Our Brain Health Mission aims to improve our understanding of brain health, using clear communication to bring the concept into the daily lives of everyone.

Our strategic partners are:

Why do we need a BHM?

  • Treatment breakthroughs for many neurological disorders are still insufficient
  • Funding for brain/neurological research is still limited
  • Scientific evidence for prevention of neurological disorders is limited
  • Neurological workforce is insufficient
  • Determinants and assessment of brain health are unclear
  • Awareness about neurological disorders and brain health is insufficient

 

Promoting good brain health will lead to:

  • Lower prevalence of neurological disorders
  • Reduction in disability adjusted life years (DALY’s) – people will have more healthy years as they age
  • Reduction in mortality – maintaining or increasing life expectancy
  • Reduction of costs – reduced cost of care and thus improved proper use of taxation of citizens

What we (will) do

Events:

Projects and activities: