Johannesburg Communiqué - Africa Task Force on Brain Health
Brain Health as a Driver of Global Prosperity: A G20 Call to Action
Johannesburg, South Africa | December 5, 2025
The Africa Task Force on Brain Health -- a multi-level, multisectoral coalition uniting experts from Africa’s five geopolitical regions to accelerate brain health innovation across the continent -- convened African and global leaders from government, the private sector, civil society, and science on the sidelines of the G20 Ministers of Health Meeting during South Africa’s Presidency. This landmark gathering established brain health—encompassing dementia, mental health, brain trauma, and substance abuse—as a fundamental investment in Africa's economic transformation and essential to achieving the continent's Agenda 2063 vision of prosperity.
Background: Africa's Demographic Dividend Depends on Brain Capital
Africa stands at a pivotal moment in human history. By 2050, the continent's working-age population will grow from 1.5 billion to 2.5 billion, with over 600 million joining the workforce. This demographic dividend represents an unprecedented opportunity for economic transformation—but only if Africa's human capital is protected and developed from early childhood through old age.
Brain health is human capital. When brains are protected, people learn better, work productively, innovate effectively, and live fuller lives. Conversely, brain disorders currently cost the global economy over $3.5 trillion annually, impacting workforce productivity, health systems, and long-term development. For Africa to realize its economic potential and achieve the goals of Agenda 2063 – industrialization, continental integration, and prosperity – investing in brain health across the life course is not optional; it is imperative.
Strategic Alignment with Continental Priorities
The Africa Task Force on Brain Health commitments align directly with Africa's stated economic and health priorities.
Economic Transformation and Workforce Productivity
Brain health from early childhood—through quality nutrition, education, and prevention of cognitive decline—ensures Africa's youth can compete in knowledge economies and drive the industrialization goals outlined in Agenda 2063.
Our goal: Position brain health as foundational to youth employment, skills development, and the demographic dividend. Protect cognitive capacity across the life course to build the productive workforce Africa needs for economic transformation.
2. Integration with Non-Communicable Disease Prevention
Non-communicable diseases are set to overtake communicable diseases as the leading cause of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Priority NCDs across the continent, such as cerebrovascular diseases including stroke, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension, share critical risk factors with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Evidence demonstrates that controlling these risk factors can reduce dementia risk by up to 40%.
Our goal: Integrate brain health into existing NCD prevention and management programs. Frame dementia prevention through the lens of cardiovascular health, diabetes management, and hypertension control—leveraging existing momentum and infrastructure rather than creating parallel systems.
3. Strengthening Primary Healthcare Systems
The AUDA-NEPAD Continental Primary Healthcare Programme for 2025-2030 recognizes the critical need to empower Community Health Workers to address Africa's health workforce shortage. Cognitive screening and brain health promotion can be integrated into these platforms at minimal cost, using task-shifting approaches proven effective for other chronic conditions.
Our goal: Embed cognitive health assessment and risk factor management into primary healthcare strengthening initiatives. Train Community Health Workers in early detection and brain health promotion as part of integrated care for NCDs.
4. Advancing Universal Health Coverage
Dementia creates catastrophic health expenditures for families, threatening the goal of financial protection under Universal Health Coverage. The economic burden of long-term care is unsustainable without prevention-focused strategies. Early intervention and risk factor management offer cost-effective alternatives to expensive late-stage care.
Our goal: Position dementia prevention and early intervention as essential to achieving UHC goals. Reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending through prevention strategies that protect families from financial catastrophe.
5. Leveraging Digital Innovation
Africa's digital economy and growing technology ecosystem—which attracted $4.5 billion in venture capital investments in 2023—present opportunities for innovation in brain health. AI-powered screening tools, mobile health interventions, and telemedicine can revolutionize early detection and prevention while creating employment in Africa's expanding tech sector.
Our goal: Harness Africa's digital innovation capacity to develop low-cost, scalable brain health solutions. Position the continent as a global leader in accessible cognitive health technology.
The "6x5 Plan" and Our Call to Action
Building on the strategic framework published in Nature Medicine in August 2025, the Africa Task Force on Brain Health has developed a comprehensive plan that charts actionable pathways for investment in brain health as a driver of economic prosperity. This plan recognizes that protecting brain health is protecting Africa's most valuable asset: its people. Based on this effort, the Task Force has identified three pathways to partnership and invites governments, funders, researchers, and the private sector to join this pivotal moment for brain health investment in Africa.
1. Funding Partnerships
Strategic investments are needed to:
Scale evidence-based prevention programs integrated with NCD initiatives
Strengthen primary healthcare capacity for cognitive health screening and risk factor management
Support research on Africa-specific risk factors, biomarkers, and interventions
Develop and deploy digital health innovations for early detection and prevention
Build sustainable financing mechanisms for long-term brain health programming
Action: We invite bilateral and multilateral funders, philanthropic organizations, and impact investors to commit resources aligned with these priority areas. Co-investment models that leverage domestic health financing reforms are particularly welcomed.
2. Research Collaborations
Africa must lead in generating evidence relevant to its populations. Research priorities include:
Population-based studies of dementia prevalence, incidence, costs and risk factors across diverse African contexts
Validation of screening tools and biomarkers in African populations
Implementation science for integrating brain health into primary care and NCD programs
Health economics studies demonstrating return on investment for prevention strategies
Innovation in low-cost, culturally appropriate interventions
Action: We call on research institutions, academic networks, and funding agencies to establish collaborative research platforms that build African research capacity while generating actionable evidence for policy and practice.
3. Policy Advocacy and Coalition Building
Sustained political commitment requires ongoing engagement at national, regional, and global levels. Key opportunities include:
Integrating brain health into national NCD strategic plans and UHC roadmaps
Advancing brain health commitments through Africa CDC, African Union health initiatives, and WHO regional platforms
Elevating brain health on the agenda of major global convenings (Davos, WHO World Health Assembly, UN General Assembly)
Building coalitions across health, education, labor, social protection, justice and finance ministries to advance whole-of-government approaches
Creating regulatory harmonization across the continent for priority areas such as pharmaceutical market access
Action: We invite civil society organizations, professional associations, and advocacy networks to join coordinated efforts to maintain political momentum and ensure accountability for commitments made.
Milestones and Accountability
To ensure sustained progress, the Africa Task Force on Brain Health proposes the following milestones anchored to major global convenings:
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (Davos, January 2026): Launch multi-stakeholder partnership initiative with commitments among governments, funders, and the private sector. Present economic case for brain health investment to global business leaders.
WHO Executive Board Meeting (January 2026) and World Health Assembly (May 2026): Advocate for strengthened WHO support for brain health integration into NCD programming and primary healthcare platforms in the African Region. Seek endorsement of brain health as a priority within UHC acceleration.
UN General Assembly (September 2026): Report on progress toward commitments and catalyze additional political support during High-Level Week, connecting brain health to Sustainable Development Goals including health (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), and reduced inequalities (SDG 10).
African Union Summit (2027): Secure continental-level political commitments integrating brain health into Agenda 2063 implementation frameworks and the African Health Strategy.
Progress will be transparently tracked and reported through these convenings, with annual assessments of funding mobilized, research collaborations established, policies adopted, and health outcomes achieved.
Our Vision: Full Brain Health Potential for Every African
The Africa Task Force on Brain Health envisions a future where every African—from early childhood through old age—has the opportunity to achieve their full brain health potential. This vision is inseparable from Africa's economic transformation: a continent cannot realize its demographic dividend with a workforce compromised by preventable cognitive decline, untreated mental illness, or inadequate early childhood brain development.
Now is the time for the world to invest in Africa's brain health. The returns—measured in lives improved, economies strengthened, and potential realized—will benefit not only Africa but the entire global community.
Join Us
The Africa Task Force on Brain Health welcomes expressions of interest from all stakeholders committed to advancing brain health as a driver of prosperity in Africa and globally.
For partnership inquiries:
Africa Task Force on Brain Health Secretariat
inquiry@davosalzheimerscollaborative.org
Supported by:
Science for Africa Foundation
Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative
This communiqué represents the commitment of the Africa Task Force based on the November 4, 2025 convening in Johannesburg, South Africa, and establishes a foundation for ongoing collaboration to advance brain health across the African continent.