‘Rethink brain health’, say experts battling EU Alzheimer’s crisis

This article is part of our special report Europe’s race to deliver a new era of dementia care.

As Europe’s population grows older, dementia is becoming one of the continent’s most pressing health challenges. Globally, the number of people affected is projected to reach 152 million by 2050. In Europe alone, dementia cases are expected to double to 14 million by 2030, but Europe's brain health strategy is weak.

Alzheimer’s disease - the most common form of dementia - currently affects 32 million people worldwide. Long viewed as an untreatable neurodegenerative condition, it now stands at a turning point, as for the first time, disease-modifying therapies are becoming a reality.

Yet with scientific progress comes a critical challenge: is Europe prepared to deliver on this potential?

That question was at the centre of "Mind the Future: A Cross Country Alzheimer Readiness Pact," a high-level event held in Milan on 7 - 8 July, convened by the Fondazione della Sostenibilità Sociale, with the backing of the Italian Society of Pharmacology and the “non-conditional support” of companies including Lilly Italia, GE Healthcare, Biogen, Siemens, and Fujirebio.

It brought together policymakers, clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates from across the continent with the clear aim of forging a shared strategy for managing Alzheimer’s in the face of rising demand and fragmented care systems.

"We believe we’re moving in the right direction," Angela Bradshaw, Director of Research at Alzheimer Europe, told Euractiv.

"Recent research has shown that up to 40% of dementia cases could potentially be prevented. Lifestyle changes play a critical role in this, so it’s important to support and care for people even before the earliest stages of the disease. We talk about multimodal interventions, which include physical exercise, cognitive stimulation, social engagement, and heart health”.

Urgent alignment needed

Delegates from Bulgaria highlighted the urgency of alignment across member states. Maya Marinova, coordinator of the Alzheimer Bulgaria Association, told Euractiv that while promising drugs exist, progress on access is slow and uneven.

“Currently, research is focused on developing new drugs, some of which are already available in different regions - in the US, the UK, and to some extent in Europe, although the approval process here tends to be slower: We are still waiting for further decisions” she told Euractiv.

The Milan conference concluded with the adoption of a joint “International Manifesto”, a milestone in cross-border collaboration.

The document calls for a coordinated European response to Alzheimer’s, centred on early diagnosis, timely access to therapies, and integrated care systems, and it stresses the importance of capitalising on decades of research, now bearing fruit through new diagnostic and therapeutic options.

Early intervention, decisive action

They urge governments to act decisively: early intervention must become the standard.

"Decades of research are delivering new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that will soon create the opportunity to modify the course of Alzheimer’s disease," it reads. "Now is the moment to realise the importance of enabling early intervention."

“If there is a possibility to develop a common framework that could be applied internationally, I believe it would be very useful,” Marinova told Euractiv.

Irina Ilieva, President of Alzheimer Bulgaria Association, stressed the ongoing lack of adequate support. "Our main goal is to advocate for the needs of older people living with dementia, especially in front of policymakers, since, at the moment, adequate support is still lacking.”

Bradshaw also stressed the importance of translating research into political momentum, saying, "To achieve real impact, we also need to communicate what we know to policymakers - to secure more resources at the national level and to help shape regulation at the EU level."

What emerged in Milan was not just a call for more funding, but for a structural, coordinated reform. Rethinking Europe’s approach to brain health, ageing, and long-term care is no longer optional; it’s essential.

[Edited By Brian Maguire | Euractiv's Advocacy Lab ]