Africa’s first five-year Brain Health Action Plan has been launched at a G20 side event in Johannesburg, marking a major milestone in advancing brain health as a key driver of global economic growth and workforce resilience.
The event — titled “Brain Health as a Driver of Global Prosperity: A G20 Call to Action” — was co-hosted by the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC) and the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation). It brought together leading figures from health, science, business, and policy to discuss how prioritizing brain health can unlock new economic potential across Africa and the broader G20 community.
Western Cape Government Health Minister Mireille Wenger delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the critical importance of investing in early detection, prevention, and research to reduce the burden of brain-related diseases and strengthen Africa’s growing workforce.
According to DAC, the new action plan provides a concrete roadmap to reduce the $44 billion lost annually to brain disorders across the continent and to position Africa as a leader in the emerging “brain economy.”
“With a median age of just 19 and the fastest-growing workforce on the planet, Africa is uniquely positioned to lead the global shift toward integrating brain health into sustainable economic development,” the organization said.
Brain-related conditions currently cost the global economy up to $8.5 trillion annually, and experts estimate that investing in brain health — including prevention and early detection — could generate up to $26 trillion in new economic value worldwide.
The event also builds on previous G20 commitments made by Argentina and Japan to strengthen the global response to neurological and mental health challenges. With South Africa’s G20 presidency this year, participants described the meeting as a pivotal moment to move from “recognition to action.”
Key speakers included George Vradenburg (Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative), Tom Kariuki (Science for Africa Foundation), Chido Rwafa Madzvamutse (World Health Organization), Kana Enomoto (McKinsey Health Institute), Mie Rizig (University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology), and Mohamed Salama (American University in Cairo), among others.
The meeting took place at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, and was also livestreamed on @CNBCAfrica and DAC’s G20 platform.
The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, founded in 2021 by the World Economic Forum and the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease, aims to expand global Alzheimer’s research and strengthen brain health systems, particularly in the Global South.
The Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation), a pan-African nonprofit organization, supports and funds research and innovation across the continent, helping scientists produce locally relevant solutions to Africa’s most pressing health and development challenges.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.