Neurological disorders affect 3.4 billion people globally, with over 80% of the disease burden and deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where access to care is limited. In response, the WHO launched the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (IGAP) to promote integrated approaches to brain health.

Our planned “Brain-Train” project in Zambia, co-developed with local partners aims to tackle these challenges by leveraging digital health tools and evaluating their effectiveness in improving neurological care and brain health in low-resource settings. A key component is the implementation of Africa’s first neurological/brain health ECHO® program, connecting Zambian primary care providers with expert mentors from Lusaka and the Technical University of Munich. Through case-based telementoring and regular educational sessions, the program aims to expand access to specialist care and build local capacity. Following a 12-month neurology pilot, the initiative will broaden to include other brain health disciplines such as psychiatry, neurosurgery, and pediatric neurology. Our goal is to support up to 200 annual case consultations and engage up to 80 clinicians.