Innovate to advance promotion of brain health and treatment for brain health conditions To truly safeguard brain health, consider moving beyond scaling existing strategies and interventions by innovating to better promote brain health, prevent disease and treat brain health conditions across the life course. Prior analyses have generally concluded that too little is spent on mental health research as a proportion of global health research relative to the morbidity, mortality and economic burden attributable to mental disorders globally.42 Additionally, most mental health research funding comes from high-income countries (HICs), potentially limiting the applicability of findings to a wider share of the global population.43 In aggregate, the landscape looks different when it comes to neurological research. Particularly in HICs, funding levels for neurological research are relatively high. However, when compared to the burden of neurological disorders globally, investment gaps remain – notably in translational research to adapt and scale interventions in lower-resource settings.44 When it comes to safeguarding brain health, advances in breakthrough technologies are opening new frontiers in the understanding and monitoring of brain function, with major implications for diagnosis and innovation that can positively impact large swaths of the global population. For example, more than 55 million people currently live with dementia globally, primarily with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and this number is expected to double every 20 years.45,46 Research suggests that in the United States alone, by 2050 the number of individuals aged over 70 with AD will increase to 9.1 million.47 In this context, medical advances that delay the onset of AD for five years could result in 41% lower prevalence and 40% lower cost of AD in 2050.48 The innovation potential for AD is just one example among many. Overall, innovation to address even 10% of today’s unaddressed global brain health burden could yield an additional estimated 54 million DALYs by 2050.49This gap comes at a high human and economic cost, including lost productivity and premature death. It also places a substantial burden on caregivers, who often face lost income, reduced workforce participation and increased health risks themselves. Yet many countries lack the financing, workforce and basic infrastructure to deliver consistent care. Investment remains low, with only 2% of global government health budgets allocated to mental health.32 Many communities lack an adequate brain health workforce. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, there is, on average, only one psychiatrist for every million people.33 Globally, there are an estimated 0.93 neurosurgeons per 100,000 population, with only half of high-income countries meeting the target of one per 100,000 and no low-income countries reaching this bar.34 Yet neurosurgical conditions such as hydrocephalus, stroke, epilepsy and traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries affect millions worldwide, and without surgical intervention can lead to preventable cognitive decline and long-term disability. Even where proven interventions and a trained workforce are available, access can be limited by other barriers, such as weak supply chains that limit the availability of medications. Essential medicine to treat epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and other MNS disorders remains low across primary healthcare settings, particularly in regions of Africa and South-East Asia and in other LMICs.35,36 An example of a government addressing this is Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, which worked with the WHO to conduct special procurements and update the National Health Insurance Fund to include coverage for essential medicines.37 While initiatives such as this demonstrate progress in expanding access, challenges persist globally. To close the treatment gap, proven solutions should be brought to scale through innovation that enables large-scale delivery across the globe. For example, one scalable approach to alleviating workforce challenges is to expand the role of technology and non-specialist providers. This includes at- scale deployment of proven strategies such as training and empowering individuals (for example, community health workers and peer counsellors) to deliver basic care for MNS disorders. Community- level care and non-specialist workers can provide some care to more than 90% of the patients who do not receive care today in LMICs.38 There is also potential to harness the power of technology and AI to extend where and how care can be delivered, focusing on AI solutions that are designed to support care providers rather than directly interacting with patients.39 Evidence from life-course modelling40 and the WHO41 shows that there is sufficient evidence today to innovate and implement interventions that promote brain health across the lifespan. When patients, clinicians and the public are engaged, interventions are more culturally appropriate, sustainable and effective. 3 The Human Advantage: Stronger Brains in the Age of AI 9

The Human Advantage Stronger Brains in the Age of AI 2026