Public brain health: a framework for action to promote and safeguard brain health
BMC global and public health
BMC Glob Public Health. 2026 Oct 20;4(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s44263-026-00340-4.
ABSTRACT
The promotion of brain health has generally been undertaken at the level of individuals, for instance, in the quest for precision treatments for persons with, or at high risk of, neurological disorders. But the growing global burden of neurological conditions and the increasing understanding of the brain's central role in all facets of human life have spurred interest in public health approaches to the brain that emphasise population-level strategies benefitting everyone as part of a "brain health for all" vision of society. This article defines the emerging concept of public brain health as intersectoral action to establish brain health priorities, empower communities, and reduce health inequities, with the ultimate goal of improving brain health at the population level across the lifetime. We propose a framework to promote and safeguard population brain health with the following key elements: co-defining priorities with communities, balancing prevention strategies, and reducing global gaps in brain health through ambitious policy-making. Public brain health calls for collective responsibility to maximise brain health equity across the life course.
