INTEGRATING ACTION FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
4.3
H
uman history has been shaped by our individual and collective brains, moulded by our actions and interactions with others, and by the environment. Our
By Vladimir Hachinski, Western University, and Mayowa Owolabi,
University of Ibadan
brains are at the core of our problems and our solutions. In the digital age and in a knowledge-based economy, healthy brains have become of paramount importance. Fostering them needs to be lifelong and constant, as advocated by the World Health Organization, since a looming demographic crisis has made this need urgent. A CRISIS IN THE MAKING The world’s average life expectancy in 1960 was 51 years; today it is 72 years. In 1960 the birth rate was five children per woman; today it is 2.3 children. In Japan, the most aged society, the average life expectancy is 85 years and the birth rate is 1.3 children. As life expectancy moves upwards and the birth rate downwards, a demographic crisis is in the making. There will be fewer young people to contribute to the economy and more older adults with disease and disabilities. Neurological disorders have become the leading contributors to disability-adjusted life years. The pandemic has left us with long Covid with unknown long-term consequences and has worsened mental health problems, compounded by natural disasters and wars. These problems demand holistic ‘brainy solutions’, not only from academics and political leaders, but from all. Anyone dealing with human behaviour and motivation should begin thinking about how these problems relate to the brain and anyone dealing with the brain needs greater understanding of the behavioural consequences of healthy and afflicted brains. Moreover, these interactions must be understood in the context of interaction with others and the environment. A GLOBAL BRAIN HEALTH PLAN The WHO has put forth a global brain health plan across the lifespan. Several countries have developed national brain plans and various organisations have launched brain health programmes. A common limitation is that they are rich in information and aspiration, but scant on supportive resources and synergy. Much could be gained by integrating them and focusing on an overarching goal such as ‘holistic brain health for all now’. Holistic brain health is a state of optimal cerebral, mental and social well-being in a safe, healthy and supportive environment. This combines, in one sentence, all our major problems and solutions. A safe and healthy environment implies addressing
From dementia to ‘supermentia’ Better, healthier brains can help build a better, healthier world, but while information and aspiration may be abundant, resources and synergy are scarce
46
Health: A Political Choice –From Fragmentation to Integration
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online