Partnering for the Brain in Europe and Beyond
Monday 29 June, 08:30 | Main Auditorium | EAN Congress, Geneva
Chaired by EAN President Elena Moro
Brain health is increasingly recognised as one of the defining health and policy challenges of our time. Against this backdrop, the EAN Congress Special Advocacy Session, Partnering for the Brain in Europe and Beyond, will bring together leading voices from across neurology, public health, patient advocacy, and international organisations to explore how stronger collaboration can help improve the lives of people living with neurological disorders and advocate for brain health for all.
The session will open with a keynote address from Dr Tarun Dua of the World Health Organization (WHO), who will provide a global perspective on brain health and the implementation of the WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (iGAP), highlighting opportunities and challenges in translating global commitments into meaningful action.
The first panel, Reducing the Burden of Neurological Disorders in Europe: Focus on Prevention, will discuss how prevention can become a cornerstone of brain health policy. Bringing together experts from neurology, public health, and European medical advocacy, the discussion will explore topics including life-course approaches to brain health, the integration of mental and neurological health, and the practical steps needed to move evidence-based prevention strategies into health systems and policy frameworks. Featuring speakers including Prof. Andrea Fiorillo, President of the European Psychiatric Association, and Prof. Tit Albreht, President of the European Public Health Association, alongside other leading figures from academia and European health organisations, the panel will explore how prevention can be positioned as a shared responsibility across specialties and health systems, while identifying opportunities to strengthen brain health policy and implementation across Europe.
The second panel, Global Advocacy for Neurology: How to Join Forces?, will focus on strengthening cooperation across the brain health community. Speakers from the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), the European Brain Council (EBC), patient organisations, and leading neurological societies will discuss how scientific, patient, and policy voices can align more effectively to support implementation of iGAP, reduce fragmentation across the field, and elevate brain health as a political and societal priority. Featuring perspectives from distinguished leaders in the field including Suzanne Dickson (EBC), Steven Lewis (WFN) and Claudio Bassetti (Swiss Brain Health Foundation), this session will provide a unique opportunity to hear how different sectors are approaching the shared challenge of improving brain health outcomes.
More than a discussion, the session aims to identify common priorities, strengthen partnerships, and explore how organisations can work together to create a more unified and influential voice for brain health advocacy in Europe and beyond. For delegates interested in the future of brain health policy, prevention, and global collaboration, this promises to be one of the key advocacy conversations of the congress.
