The International Alliance on Brain Health (IABH): Bridging global efforts toward integrated brain and mental health plans and the promotion of local implementations

J Neurol Sci. 2026 Jul 1;489:126069. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2026.126069. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The convergence of neurological, psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and public health approaches to brain health is reshaping global strategies for prevention, care, and policy. However, major gaps remain in the integration and implementation of brain and mental health frameworks across healthcare systems and regions. This paper describes the foundation and early development of the International Alliance on Brain Health (IABH), established in Switzerland in 2025 to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, reciprocal innovation, and implementation-oriented exchange between the global North and global South. Drawing on the Alliances founding meeting in Bern, its contribution as a partner to the World Brain Health Forum organized by the Paris Brain Institute, and its subsequent meeting in Buenos Aires, the paper outlines the Alliance's global positioning and priorities for translating brain health frameworks into practice. Key themes included integrated neurological and mental health approaches, prevention across the life course, digital innovation, brain capital, workforce development, and stronger inclusion of global South perspectives in international policy dialogue. The Alliance also emphasized bidirectional learning and locally adaptable implementation strategies aligned with WHO brain health frameworks. Under the joint patronage of the World Federation of Neurology and the World Psychiatric Association, the IABH represents an emerging platform for cross-continental collaboration in brain health.

PMID:42497635 | DOI:10.1016/j.jns.2026.126069