With dementia cases in Africa projected to triple by 2050, the time to invest in inclusive brain health solutions is now.
By Edward Githae
I never imagined brain health would become the most personal fight of my life – until it did.
In March 2024, I lost my beloved mum to Alzheimer’s disease. Her memory faded long before her final breath, and with it, a part of me disappeared too. But beyond the heartbreak was something harder to bear: the haunting question of what if. What if we had known the signs? What if we had access to early screening? What if someone, anyone, had told us this was coming?
Her death was not just a moment of loss. It was a revelation. A painful awakening to how invisible, misunderstood, and neglected brain health remains across Africa. Ours is not an isolated story; it echoes in homes, villages, and cities where awareness is low, diagnoses come too late, and help is often out of reach.
Brain health crisis
Brain health, once a clinical concern confined to neurology departments, has entered public consciousness like never before. Conversations about cognitive decline, mental resilience, brain fog, and mental illness now take place not just in hospitals, but in homes, workplaces, and legislatures. And with good reason.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), neurological conditions are now the leading cause of disability and illness worldwide, affecting 1 in 3 people globally. Dementia alone sees nearly 10 million new cases annually, with projections showing this could triple by 2050. This burden is not just about aging. COVID-19 made it clear that brain health spans generations, with over 57% of long COVID sufferers reporting lasting cognitive symptoms, including brain fog and memory loss. Alarmingly, older adults with COVID were found to have a 69% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s within a year of infection.
Underdiagnosed, underfunded, overwhelming
In Africa, the crisis is deepening but often remains invisible. The lack of early diagnosis, cultural stigma, and poor healthcare infrastructure mean many brain health issues go unrecognized until it is too late. According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, over 60% of dementia patients live in low- and middle-income countries, with Africa shouldering a growing share of this burden.
Yet, public awareness is low. One study suggests that more than 90% of people in Africa with dementia remain undiagnosed. In rural areas, access to neurologists or mental health professionals is virtually nonexistent. Add to that a 2023 finding that 1 in 5 people with dementia globally receive no caregiving assistance, and it paints a stark picture of isolation, burnout, and suffering for both patients and families.
The economic impact is staggering. In sub-Saharan Africa, most care is informal, provided by family members, usually women, who sacrifice income and personal wellbeing. This unpaid caregiving becomes a hidden tax on households and national productivity.
Furthermore, socioeconomic adversity has long-lasting effects. Studies show that socioeconomic disadvantage in childhood increases the risk of adult mental illness by 200–300%. In a continent where millions of children grow up in poverty, this is a time bomb for the future of cognitive health.
The 45% opportunity
Despite the daunting numbers, there is reason for hope, and urgency. The 2024 Lancet Commission found that up to 45% of dementia cases could be delayed or prevented by addressing 14 modifiable lifestyle factors. These include managing hypertension, diabetes, hearing loss, and depression, as well as promoting nutrition, physical activity, and social connection.
Adopting just four to five healthy behaviours can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 60%. And encouragingly, it is never too late; even older adults who begin making lifestyle changes see tangible cognitive improvements.
This makes prevention both a public health strategy and an equity issue. But for Africa, prevention must be coupled with access: without investment in community health systems, education, and affordable diagnostics, the continent risks being left behind.
Innovation without inclusion
The global brain health market is booming. Valued at over $248 billion, it is projected to nearly double by 2034. In 2023, neurotechnology drew over $1.4 billion in venture capital, with innovations including cognitive wearables, brain-computer interfaces, and real-time tracking tools. From sleep analysis to voice-based cognitive tests, these tools promise early detection and personalized interventions.
But here lies the risk: will Africa be included in this technological revolution, or sidelined once again?
Without deliberate strategies for inclusive access, such as low-cost mobile diagnostics, local-language education campaigns, and region-specific tech deployment, these solutions may widen the health gap.
Why this matters now
My mother’s story reminds me that brain health is not just medical, it is deeply human. It shapes how we love, work, remember, and connect. The pain of watching someone lose those connections, and being powerless to stop it, is something no one should face in silence.
Africa must act now to address the growing burden of cognitive and mental health issues. This includes investing in early screening and awareness campaigns, especially in rural areas; training more frontline health workers in mental and cognitive care; supporting caregivers with social and financial programs; making brain health a national policy priority within non-communicable disease plans; and fostering local innovation in neurotechnology tailored to African needs.
Because while the loss of a loved one like my mother cannot be reversed, perhaps the next daughter, or son, will not have to live with the same regrets.
Next frontier for equity, innovation
As the world awakens to the importance of brain health, Africa must not be left in the shadows. The choices we make today, about care, prevention, and technology, will define whether the cognitive future of millions is one of decline or dignity.
Let us ensure that brain health is not just a conversation in Western boardrooms but a rallying cry in African homes, clinics, and classrooms.
