G7 LEADERS URGED TO STRENGTHEN BRAIN HEALTH TO BOOST ECONOMIC GROWTH AND STABILIZE HEALTH COSTS

As the cost of brain conditions is expected to balloon to $16 trillion by 2030, G7 leaders and Canada are uniquely positioned to deliver solutions.

CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, June 13, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A growing international coalition of scientific, business, and policy leaders has issued a declaration calling on G7 leaders to adopt a policy roadmap that will deliver sustained progress on brain health through the 2026 G7 Leaders' Summit in France.

The Canada Brain Economy Declaration builds on the expanding body of evidence that an erosion of brain health represents an imminent crisis that could cripple major economies if businesses, health systems, and governments do not adopt transformative and coordinated solutions.

The recommendations will be made public during the G7 Canada Brain Economy Summit in Calgary on June 14. They outline concrete steps G7 leaders can take in 2025 to prioritize the creation of a global brain economy—one that will power a more resilient, productive future fueled by healthy brains to meet the rising demand for brain capital.

Sustainable economic growth and human development depend on brain capital—a combination of brain health and brain skills that is rapidly emerging as a key driver of competitive advantage. Realizing its full potential will require nations to support healthy brain function across the workforce, address conditions such as mental, neurological, and substance use disorders, and promote brain skills like creativity, emotional regulation, and adaptability.

The core recommendations included in the Canada Brain Economy Declaration are:

i) Instruct Finance and Health Ministers to develop a coordinated plan to accelerate the brain economy, including concrete investment and policy proposals

ii) Establish a G7+ Brain Economy Working Group to align efforts across countries and sectors

iii) Convene a G7 Brain Economy Conference to scale proven solutions and forge new partnerships

iv) Include brain capital in the 2025 Leaders’ Communiqué, positioning it as central to economic stability and innovation

“Governments are treating human brain health as an economic cost, not as an asset that can be harnessed for significant competitive and societal advantage,” said Jennie Z. Young, PhD, Executive Director of the Canadian Brain Research Strategy. “There is momentum across all sectors in Canada and other nations. But without G7 leadership, we won’t unlock the full economic potential that can be harnessed by investing in brain capital initiatives.”

“Brain health is foundational to our future economy, especially as aging populations and the rise of neurodegenerative and mental health disorders threaten national fiscal stability,” said George Vradenburg, Founding Chairman of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative. “No nation can afford to ignore the multi-trillion-dollar cost of unaddressed brain disorders. This is higher than the annual GDP of Germany, France, Italy, and the UK combined. The G7 has a unique opportunity to solve this crisis, joining the private sector and civil society to create a global brain economy.”

The economic burden of brain and mental health conditions is mounting. In G7 countries, these conditions are now the leading cause of disability and a major driver of lost productivity. Yet government investment and policy coordination remain decades behind the scale of the crisis—leaving people and economies vulnerable. Brain health includes mental, neurological, and substance use disorders that affect individuals across all life stages—from early childhood and adolescence to working-age adults and older populations.

The Declaration makes clear that this is not simply a health or aging issue: It is a business and labor issue that drives national competitiveness and global economic growth. G7 countries have strong, educated workforces, but they are failing to convert that potential into productivity gains. In Canada, for example, GDP per capita has declined for three consecutive years despite having the largest proportion of working-age people in the G7. That mismatch, the Declaration argues, is the brain economy gap.

The push for coordinated action is gaining ground. In September, global stakeholders will reconvene at a high-level side event hosted by the European Brain Council (EBC) during the Science Summit at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) in New York. The event, organized under the banner of the Global Brain Coalition, will continue the work of shaping a shared, global response to the erosion of brain capital. This G7 Canada work will also be integrated into the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Brain Economy Action Forum and Insights Report to be published at the January 2026 WEF Annual Meeting.

“The future of brain health depends on international cooperation,” said Frédéric Destrebecq, EBC Executive Director. “At UNGA80, we are bringing together voices from science, policy, civil society, and industry to shape a global response to one of the century’s greatest health challenges.”

The Summit is also part of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Brain House Tour, a global initiative launched at the 2025 World Economic Forum. Each stop convenes leaders from science, business, and policy to shape the systems-level change needed to reduce the burden of brain conditions and build the brain capital required for future generations. The tour will culminate in the release of a global roadmap at Davos 2026.

G7 leaders have a precedent for this kind of action. Past summits have led global responses to pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, and financial instability. The erosion of brain capital is another systemic risk—but this one is preventable. The Declaration urges leaders to act now—and to commit to sustained progress through the 2026 G7 Summit in France.

About the Canada Brain Economy Declaration

The Canada Brain Economy Declaration represents the culmination of a months-long effort that brought together more than 100 senior global leaders from government, business, research, and civil society through a series of roundtables, consultations, and convenings aligned with the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit.

The effort was convened by the Alzheimer’s Society of Montreal, Canadian Brain Research Strategy, Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, European Brain Council, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Ontario Brain Institute, Rice University, and the University of Calgary.

We also gratefully acknowledge the hundreds of other individuals and organizations—across sectors and borders—whose thought leadership, time, and collaboration helped shape this global movement and the Declaration it has produced.

Lindsay Borthwick
Canadian Brain Research Strategy
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