Global Coalition Launches 30-City Effort to Curb Stroke and Dementia

The International Brain Health Coalition (IBC) arrives as a response to what organizers describe as an execution failure in modern medicine. While the modifiable risk factors for stroke and dementia are well-established, the infrastructure to implement preventive care at scale has remained fragmented. The coalition seeks to bridge this divide by moving beyond research to focus on practical, community-based delivery models.

Dr. David Dodick, Chair of the IBC, noted that the world faces an unsustainable economic and personal toll from neurological conditions. By integrating neurology, cardiology, and behavioral science, the IBC intends to embed preventive care into daily habits and primary care settings. The effort is supported by a diverse group of partners, including the United Nations, Microsoft, Eli Lilly, and the American Heart Association.

Demonstration projects are currently underway in London, Ontario, and Oslo, Norway. The Canadian effort, led by the Western Institute for Neuroscience, focuses on an AI-and-human coaching model to manage blood pressure and sleep. Meanwhile, the Oslo program utilizes the AI-Mind environment to combine multimodal AI, EEG, and blood-based biomarkers for early risk identification. These dual sites serve as a blueprint for the coalition’s goal of creating a replicable framework for global health systems.