Brain health is not confined to a single specialty. It shapes how people learn, work, relate to one another, and take part in society. Yet the scale of the challenge and its consequences for human development have not received the attention they deserve. This was the starting point for the Buenos Aires meeting.

Over two days, the 2nd Meeting of the International Alliance on Brain Health (IABH) brought together 44 speakers from six continents and representatives of leading organizations in neurology, psychiatry, and global health. The discussions pointed to a shared conclusion: brain health must be treated as a major public-health and development priority. Investment in brain health supports productivity, social participation, and human potential, but resources are still not reaching the communities with the greatest need.

Brain disorders affect nearly half of the global population, but the challenges vary widely across countries and health systems. Some settings face major gaps in diagnostic capacity and specialist workforce; others struggle with fragmented services and unequal access to new therapies. The exchanges among colleagues from India, Ghana, Chile, Colombia, Switzerland, Singapore, and the United States showed that solutions do not move in only one direction. Primary-care models, community health workers, and legal guarantees developed in resource-constrained settings offer lessons for wealthier systems as well. The Alliance was created to make that exchange possible.

This report brings together the main conclusions from the Buenos Aires meeting and is intended as a practical resource for those working on brain health policy, research, clinical care, and advocacy. The three priorities that emerged — legal and financial guarantees, public engagement, and brain-healthy environments — provide a framework for the next stage of the Alliance’s work.

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