The Ohrid Declaration: Mapping Brain Health Determinants in Southeastern Europe

Brain health is essential for overall well-being, yet its determinants vary across regions due to geopolitical, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. Southeastern Europe (SEE) faces unique challenges that influence brain health outcomes. Addressing brain health in this region requires tailored approaches that consider the complexity and diversity of these factors. This paper reports on a region-specific framework for addressing brain health challenges in SEE by identifying key determinants through expert collaboration and evidence-based analysis.

In 2023, a Brain Health Task Force convened in Ohrid, North Macedonia, gathering input from brain health experts across 13 SEE countries and individuals with lived dementia experience. The Task Force focused on the World Health Organization (WHO) brain health determinants, integrating expert feedback with a literature review and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. A scoring system was developed, and the results were visualized through thematic maps, highlighting brain health performance variations across the region.

The initial findings reveal significant disparities in SWOT across 25 WHO subdomains of brain health determinants among the 13 SEE countries. Kosovo and Bosnia & Herzegovina scored overall lower (greater weaknesses and threats), while Slovenia and Serbia exhibited stronger outcomes (greater strengths and opportunities). The thematic maps provide a visual representation of these differences, underscoring the diverse challenges and opportunities for brain health across the SEE region.

These findings provide a foundation for further examination of brain health in SEE, guiding policy and strategic interventions, addressing stigma, and fostering cross-sectoral, crossborder, and interregional collaboration.