As 2026 begins we (EFNA) reflect on and welcome the adoption of the UN Political Declaration on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the promotion of mental health and well-being, adopted following the UN High-Level Meeting on 25 September 2025 and subsequently agreed by the UN General Assembly in December 2025.

For European neurology patients and caregivers, the Declaration is significant because it explicitly links NCDs and mental health to “brain health and neurological conditions,” and recognises that mental health conditions can co-occur and interact with neurological conditions such as dementia, stroke sequelae, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy, among others. This recognition matters: it strengthens the policy basis for integrated, person-centredmodels of care that reflect how people actually live with neurological conditions—often alongside comorbidities, disability, and mental health impacts.

EFNA particularly welcomes that the Declaration:

• Acknowledges the expertise of people living with neurological conditions, families and caregivers in designing and monitoring policies and services.
• Reinforces the centrality of universal health coverage and resilient health systems spanning prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and rehabilitation—areas that are routinely under-resourced in neurology.
• Commits to stronger surveillance, data, and accountability mechanisms, which are essential to make neurological inequities visible and actionable across Europe.

At the same time, EFNA notes important shortcomings for neurology:

• While neurological conditions are referenced, they are not consistently treated as a distinct priority area with dedicated actions, targets, and investment commitments proportionate to burden.
• The Declaration’s prevention ambition is weakened where proven fiscal and regulatory measures on health-harming products were diluted during negotiations. This risks slowing progress on prevention and on sustainable domestic financing for health systems—both critical for neurological care pathways and caregiver support.

EFNA underlines that these gaps can and should be addressed through implementation of the WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (IGAP) 2022–2031, which provides a structured framework and targets for improving access to care, quality of life, and brain health across the life course, including explicit attention to carers and families.

EFNA calls on EU institutions and Member States to use the Declaration as political leverage to accelerate delivery against the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 3.4 on reducing premature mortality from NCDs while promoting mental health and well-being, and SDG 3.8 on universal health coverage. This must translate into measurable national neurology commitments: timely diagnosis, equitable access to medicines and technologies, rehabilitation, mental health support, and formal recognition and support for caregivers.

EFNA notes the Declaration can be operationalized through existing EU policy frameworks and funding instruments which are essential to closing the gaps in neurological prevention, care and long-terms support across Europe, namely:

• EU4Health Programme: to explicitly prioritise neurological conditions and brain health within health system strengthening, prevention, workforce development, and health literacy actions, including targeted support for patient organisations and caregiver programmes.
• European Reference Networks (ERNs), particularly ERN-RND: to improve equity in diagnosis, treatment, and cross-border care for rare and complex neurological conditions, and to ensure that patient-reported outcomes and lived experience inform service design.
• EU Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Regulation: to ensure that neurological medicines, devices, and digital tools are assessed in ways that reflect real-world patient benefit, quality of life, and long-term outcomes—not solely short-term clinical endpoints.
• European Care Strategy and European Pillar of Social Rights: to formally recognise and support informal caregivers of people living with neurological conditions, including access to respite care, social protection, and mental health support.
• Horizon Europe and the European Research Area: to increase investment in neurological research across the life course, including implementation science, comorbidity with mental health conditions, and translation of innovation into clinical practice.
• EU Disability Strategy 2021–2030: to ensure that neurological conditions are fully embedded in disability inclusion policies, with accessible services, employment support, and independent living measures.