The Ohrid Declaration: Mapping Brain Health Determinants in Southeastern Europe.

Authors

Eliza Georgiou, Petya Grigorova, Aleksandra Angelova, Yavuz Ayhan, Silva Banović, Afrim Blyta, Marina Boban, Sevinc Elif Sen, Svetlana Iloski, Marija Kušan Jukić, Triantafyllia Kalantzakou, Everina Katirtzoglou, Magdalini Krommyda, Elli Lemonidou, Mercedes Lovrečič, Shima Mehrabyan, Murat Anıl Mercan, Andona Milovanovic, Ninoslav Mimica, Vladimir Nakov, Gabriela Novotni, Zvezdan Pirtošek, Antonios Politis, Melihate Pushka, Raluca Sfetcu, Osman Sinanović, Ivana Sotirovic, Iva Stankovic, Drozdstoy Stoyanov, Catalina Tudose, Latchezar Traykov, Panagiotis Alexopoulos, Iracema Leroi, Gda Beyin Sağlığı Görev Gücü Adına

Published in

Turk psikiyatri dergisi = Turkish journal of psychiatry. Volume 36. Pages 236-247.

Abstract

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.

PMID:
42768886
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 22 Sep 2026.

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