A neuroscience expert has called on the U.S. House of Representatives to advance a global agenda for brain health.
Speaking at a hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, Gladys E. Maestre, from the Rio Grande Valley Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research testified to lawmakers about the importance of advancing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in populations worldwide.
Representatives convened the hearing, titled Meeting the Challenges of Global Brain Health: Diagnosis and Treatment for the 21st Century, as the House Foreign Affairs Committee works on a new bill that will focus on Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and hydrocephalus.
“To harness the great promise of science to mitigate the suffering of millions experiencing or at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease across the globe, we need to consider rigorously not only advances in scientific knowledge but also to design the infrastructure and resources required to make this promise a reality,” said Maestre.
In the United States alone, by 2050, an estimated 13 million Americans will be living with Alzheimer’s disease, and total payments for all individuals with Alzheimer’s or other dementias are projected to increase to more than $1.1 trillion.
In her testimony, Maestre urged representatives to adopt a unified approach to advancing Alzheimer’s research while strengthening the U.S. position in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries — by leveraging successful programs like RCMAR and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers funded by the National Institute on Aging.
She said these initiatives combine rigorous research with meaningful community engagement.
Maestre added that the Diversity Centers for Genome Research, supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH, also play a crucial role in engaging diverse populations and should be utilised to enhance these efforts.
Partnerships with organisations such as the Alzheimer’s Association, the Global Brain Health Institute, and the Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health should be strengthened to maximise global impact.
Finally, she said integrating global brain health leadership into our foreign affairs workforce and developing a pipeline for the next generation of cross-sector experts is essential.
