During World Alzheimer’s Month, Professor Alfred Kongnyu Njamnshi, a prominent Cameroonian neurologist, shares his vision of brain health in Africa. From his deep motivations for the “Yaoundé Declaration” to the reality of neurodegenerative diseases on the continent, he shares his convictions on the need to value the “brain capital” of young people and invest in research to build a healthy and productive economy.

Who is Professor Alfred Kongnyu NJAMNSHI?

First, thank you for inviting me to this interview during the World Alzheimer’s month which peaked last Sunday with the World Alzheimer’s day, on September 21, 2025. I usually say, “If the brain does not work, the rest does not matter”. Going back to your question, Alfred Kongnyu NJAMNSHI is a Cameoonian African, who believes that human beings were each fearfully and wonderfully created with this marvelous organ in their head called the brain, for a very special purpose: to interact productively with one another, intimately with the Creator and respectfully with all creation, for the wellbeing of all creation. 

This Cameroonian African was born in Taku in Donga-Mantung Division of the North-West Region of Cameroon and as a teenager, after formating his brain in the Cameroon Baptist Convention primary school Taku, Government High School Nkambe and Cameroon College of Arts, Science and Technology (CCAST), Bambili, he moved to Yaoundé as Talla Andre sang in ‘‘Je vais à Yaoundé’’, to pursue university education and training in what was known then as CUSS (Centre Universitaire des Sciences de la Santé) graduating in 1988 as a physician. In his passion to understand more about the brain function and brain disease, a few months after graduation, he flew to Geneva, Switzerland, for a residency programme in neurology and clinical neurophysiology. He had visited the university of Geneva earlier as a medical student, to work on the first part of his doctoral thesis. Before returning to his native Cameroon after residency and post-graduate training in education (medical education) in 1995, he conceived the idea and got some of his swiss friends together with him to found Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN), which later became recognised in Switzerland as a public utility organisation.

In 1995, upon return to Ongola (Yaoundé), the birthplace of some of his children and grand children, he immediately sort and obtained from the Authorities, his wish to serve the most needy of the needy persons with brain disease, in the Yaoundé Central Hospital and a little later to train other physicians in The University of Yaounde I’s School of Medicine (where he rose up all rungs of the academic ladder), while continuing to study to discover the marvels of the human and rat brains.

Alfred Kongnyu Njamnshi is happilly married and is a father and grandfather. He enjoys music, walking and gardening.

Professor, as the lead-author of the Yaoundé Declaration, what was your main motivation for getting involved in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease in Cameroon and Africa?

My guess is that you are referring to The Yaounde Declaration on brain economy, brain health and brain capital that was adopted during the First African High-level Science Summit by BRAIN on World Brain Day last year and endorsed by the Cameroon Government for the United Nations 79th General Assembly Science Summit Brain Days!

My main motivation was the fact that African brains were at crossroads, as Africans found themselves in a very rich, diversified and blessed continent, but they themselves were very wretched, divided and blowing one another out. So rich, yet so poor, as Manu Dibango sang, ‘’Afrique sans fric’’, with very high rates of disease! Africa is expected to have the highest burden of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease in the World, by 2050! Although Africa’s population is mostly young, Africans are ageing at an abnormally fast rate, in fact, Africans are ageing fastest in the world and that is not good news, at all.

Our brains make us who we are as humans and our brains are our future and if our brains are under serious threat of disease and degeneration including Alzheimer’s, we Africans need to wake up and do something about it. This is true if we want to build a productive and growing economy for the wellbeing of our people and the planet. For that to happen, we need develop our brain capital as an economic asset and promote brain health for the economic transition from the current brain-unhealthy economy to a more brain-healthy economy, that is good for all.

Could you tell us about the main missions of the Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN) and its role in advancing brain health on the continent?

Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN) was founded with the mission of creating or adapting neuroscience evidence for the sustainable development of Africa. BRAIN is involved in the business of research for development, given that every human developmental endeavour, was once an idea in somebody’s brain! Simply put, our vision is ‘‘Quality health and sustainable development through neuroscience (brain) research, education and service provision in Africa.’’ ‘We see an African society where an improved understanding of the brain, in health and in disease, among researchers, health workers, policy makers and the general public leads to better health and sustainable development of its people.’ Our Mission is: ‘‘Promoting health for development in Africa through brain health.’’ ‘We commit ourselves to achieve a better understanding and awareness on the brain and its role in individual development and of the society through the promotion of evidenced-based neuroscience research, education and improved service provision for people in Africa, in order to reduce the burden of neurological conditions in the continent.’

Alzheimer’s is often associated with Western countries. What is the reality of this disease in Cameron, and what are the consequences for families and society?

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and it affects Africans so it affects Cameroonians too. The BRAIN research group is working so that in a few years, we may know the prevalence (number of people living with the condition) and the incidence (number of people who have newly presented with the condition) of dementia in the different cultural zones of Cameroon. We are also studying the risk factors, including genetic as well as environmental risk factors and this evidence is necessary for developing brain health policy to improve the quality of life of the patients and their families who are often overburdened by the condition. One of our recent studies based on a measure of disease burden known as Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) showed that the DALY for the Cameroonian population stands at 325.7. One DALY is the equivalent of one year of healthy life lost either to premature death or to disability. This measure of disease burden does not take into account the burden on family members especially female family members who carry the responsibility of caring for the dementia patient. So brain disease and dementia especially have a serious socio-economic burden on the patients, their family and society at large!

What concrete actions has BRAIN taken to raise public awareness and improve care for Alzheimer’s patients in Cameroon?

BRAIN has been conducting research on dementia, while sensitising and educating the participants and general population on dementia in particular and brain health in general. We have developed several initiatives such as The Brain Week in Cameroon and Africa during which we not only sensitise patients, families and the population but also train health personnel, medical students and residents on how to improve dementia care in Cameroon. This year, in partnership with several senior citizen non-governmental organisations and associations, we have organised more sensitisation and education campaigns especially during the month of September, set aside as the World Alzheimer Month. On World Alzheimer Day, with the collaboration of media houses, we have been able to reach hundreds and thousands of Cameroonians with messages to reduce stigma and improve care and prevention of dementia. Earlier this year, in February, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association (AA) and others, BRAIN organised at the Yaoundé Conference Centre and at the University of Yaoundé I’s Faculty of Medicine, the AA International Conference (AAIC) Next with over 600 participants including patient associations.

What are the major advances in Alzheimer’s research in Cameroon? Is data collection a challenge?

Alzheimer’s disease research has taken off in high gear in Cameroon. Our pilot studies for example revealed that the prevalence of dementia in the South-West region is about 7% and in the Centre region about 11%. We have also reported from our studies in the Mbam valley, the first ever observation that dementia is associated with onchocerciasis or river blindness (which also is strongly associated with epilepsy and cognitive impairment in children). We are currently collecting data for the understanding of the different clinical subtypes of dementia, the risk factors and disease burden. Data collection is always a challenge to researchers but at BRAIN, our Community Engagement Committee works very closely with the community leaders and members and integrates their contributions and opinions into our research framework and strategy. We also organise restitution seminars with the populations where we conduct research. This community-participative approach has significantly resolved some of the challenges faced in data collection.

How does the Yaoundé Declaration, for which you were  lead-author, help position brain health, and by extension the fight against Alzheimer’s, as a public policy priority in Cameroon and beyond?

The Yaoundé Declaration on brain economy, brain health and brain capital, positions brain health as a public priority not just in Cameroon but in Africa and globally. In fact, the Yaoundé Declaration is a global call: a call for national brain health plans, for a global brain council, etc. To appreciate the extent to which this document which was adopted by hundreds of experts and leaders from all continents of the World, has attracted global attention, I invite you to read the published article. A month after adoption, it was endorsed by the Government of Cameroon, during the first African High-Level Science Summit in Yaoundé. It was presented at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Science Summit Brain Days in New York last year, at the World Economic Forum in Davos early this year, later at the European Parliament during the European Brain Council Brain Awareness Summit, at the G7 Brain Economy Summit in Canada, at the Vatican Symposium on Memory, etc….

The Yaoundé Declaration has received support from numerous partners. What has been the role of these collaborations, particularly with the Cameroonian government and international organizations?

The international leaders and partners contributed to and/or supported the adoption of the Yaoundé Declaration as an instrument to catalyse change and promote brain health globally, by acting regionally, nationally and locally. The Cameroon Government, co-organiser of first African High-level Science Summit under the very high patronage of the President of The Republic, endorsed the Yaoundé Declaration and has been working through its diplomatic channels to move it through the UN system, especially as the Declaration aligns with the UN Pact for the Future, which it preceded. The 80th UNGA Science Summit Brain Days in New York this year will still discuss the impact of the Yaoundé Declaration, as well as the G20 Summit soon in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The document mentions the concept of “brain capital.” Could you explain how this concept applies specifically to the Cameroonian context, especially concerning the youth?

Brain health has been defined by WHO as ‘‘the state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioural and motor domains, allowing a person to realize their full potential over the life course, irrespective of the presence or absence of disorders’’. Brain capital is conceptualised as brain health plus brain skills, such as creativity, resilience, critical thinking, systems thinking. You can see that “brain capital” is what our educational system is supposed to produce in our youth by empowering their healthy brains to become problem solvers and innovators for economic productivity and wellbeing. Many of our youth do not yet realise the importance of their brains, and that’s why they indulge into self-destructive practices. With a proper development of the brain capital of our youth, as an economic asset, we can then envisage the transition into a brain-healthy economy, that will guarantee wellbeing for all on the planet, including the planet itself.

What are the main challenges you face in your work, and what are the future prospects for Alzheimer’s research and care in Cameroon?

The kind of work we undertake at BRAIN with our national and international partners is transdisciplinary and transformative. As such, we have had a number of challenges including being misunderstood and hence limited funding support. We do not yet have research funding agencies in our context and we look forward to more indigenous African and Cameroonian research funding agencies from both the public and private sectors. When all stakeholders shall understand that investing in brain research is investing in the promotion of the economy and hence better productivity and wellbeing, we would have made progress. The political will in Cameroon has been clearly demonstrated through the endorsement of The Yaoundé Declaration by the authorities of this Nation. Now is the time for economic operators, philanthropists and other stakeholders to join the movement of brain health promotion through funding research projects and programmes that will contribute to socio-economic development.

What strong message would you like to convey to Cameroonians—whether they are young people, caregivers, or policymakers—about brain health and Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias exist in Cameroon and have a great toll on patients, families, and the society at large. The time is now for all Cameroons to stand up as one person, to reduce stigma and prevent brain disease, thus promoting brain health.

For individuals, do your brain check-up for early detection of warning signs so that appropriate measures can be taken. To the Cameroonian young people, value your brains and do not destroy yourselves and your future by exposing your brains to harmful substances and practices. To families and caregivers, please think about your own health and do checkups because caregiver burden is not negligible.  To policy makers, it is important to translate the evidence generated in brain health into brain health policy and where there is no evidence, supporting research in Cameroon to produce the evidence would constitute a major contribution to the reduction of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases and conditions. Let us all make Cameroon a brain-friendly Nation.

“If the brain does work, the rest does not matter.” Alfred K. Njamnshi

Propos recueillis par Elvis Serge NSAA