The Brain Health Diplomat's Toolkit: supporting brain health diplomacy leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean
Walter D Dawson, Laura Booi, Maritza Pintado‐Caipa, Maira Okada de Oliveira, Alex Kornhuber, Natasha Spoden, Ona Golonka, Lenny Shallcross, Alejandra Davidziuk, Márcia R. Cominetti, Mayte Vergara-Manríquez, Renata Kochhann, Ian H. Robertson, Harris A. Eyre, Agustín Ibáñez
Abstract
Maintaining and improving brain health, one of the most critical global challenges of this century, necessitates innovative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative strategies to address the growing challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean. This paper introduces Brain Health Diplomacy (BHD) as a pioneering approach to bridge disciplinary and geographic boundaries and mobilize resources to promote equitable brain health outcomes in the region. Our framework provides a toolkit for emerging brain health leaders, equipping them with essential concepts and practical resources to apply in their professional work and collaborations. By providing case studies, we highlight the importance of culturally sensitive, region-specific interventions to address unique needs of vulnerable populations. By encouraging dialogue, ideation, and cross-sector discussions, we aspire to develop new research, policy, and programmatic avenues. The novel BHD approach has the potential to revolutionize brain health across the region and beyond, ultimately contributing to a more equitable global cognitive health landscape.