The Brain Health Diplomat’s TOOLKIT: Supporting Brain Health Diplomacy Leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean

Maintaining and improving brain health is one of the greatest global challenges of the21st century. Brain health is defined as a life-long dynamic state of cognitive, emotional,and motor domains underpinned by physiological processes. It is multidimensional andcan be objectively measured and subjectively experienced.
Brain health is influenced by ecobiopsychosocial determinants, resulting in a continuumof quality of life and wellness (Chen et al., 2021). The emergence of SARS-COV-2(COVID-19) negatively impacted brain health on a global scale, the effects of which arestill being uncovered. From the long-lasting neurological effects of COVID-19infections to the impacts of social isolation and loneliness endured by millions duringthe pandemic, to worldwide disruptions in research on the treatment and prevention ofneurodegenerative disorders will all have enduring effects on brain health.
The COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered a need for greater cooperation andcollaboration across national borders to address the global threat, which is instructivefor the challenge of maintaining and improving global brain health.
In 2021, a multinational group of experts launched a brain health diplomacy agenda tosupport this challenge, in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Brain Health Diplomacy Working Group and theLatin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat).
This agenda aims to improve brain performance on a global scale. To help achieve thisambitious goal, the Brain Health Working Group has developed a prototype toolkit foremerging leaders to advance brain health diplomacy.