Brain Awareness Week 2022 was a busy time period for EBC this year, with a series of virtual launches taking place, namely the release of the 2nd Round of the Value of Treatment project results and Calls to Action as well as the Save the Date for two major events later this year.

On Monday, 14 March, the Value of Early Diagnosis and Coordinated Care for Rare Brain Diseases results summary was launched, with case studies focused on rare neurological diseases and neurometabolic disorders Ataxia, Dystonia and Phenylketonuria. The results were accompanied by a Call to Action for a renewed EU Action Plan on Rare Diseases. EBC calls on the European Commission and EU countries to renew a European action plan on rare diseases. This would bring together existing efforts across different legislation and EU programmes under a coherent framework to spearhead change and align EU countries towards the same measurable goals to ultimately improve survival, quality of life and clinical guidelines harmonization.

On Tuesday, 15 March, the Save the Dates for the upcoming Brain Innovation Days and Final Conference of the European Brain Research Area (EBRA) project were announced – two exciting events happening from the 11-12 October 2022 to bring the wider brain community together in Brussels again.

On Wednesday, 16 March, the Value of Early Intervention and Continuity of Care for Mental Disorders results summary followed, with case studies on mental disorders Anorexia Nervosa, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Just like for rare brain diseases, the results of the mental disorders cases studies were accompanied by a Call to Action for an updated European framework for action on mental health, particularly focused on young people. Study results show there is an urgent need to prioritise early detection, continuity of care, prioritizing brain health and efficient care pathways for youth with mental disorders.

Around these major announcements, further attention was also brought to ongoing work, such as the recent release of the EBRA Mapping Report and showcasing the work of our members and partnerships, with new releases from the One Neurology podcast series and GAMIAN-Europe’s new video on the importance of brain health. Additionally, other projects EBC is part of were highlighted, including BRAINTEASER and PRIME.

Much more is to come next week, however – stay tuned!