At the World Health Assembly TBI Coalition side event, April Sabangan — CEO of mission:BRAIN — joined global leaders and advocates calling for the World Health Organization to pass a resolution recognizing traumatic brain injury (TBI) as both a notifiable and chronic condition. The gathering marked an important step in advancing brain health as a global public health priority, bringing together voices across policy, medicine, and systems leadership to advocate for stronger recognition, reporting, and long-term care frameworks for TBI worldwide.
The event was joined by Honorable Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, alongside Dr. Nicoline Schiess of the WHO Brain Health Unit, Health Ministers from South Sudan, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Guatemala, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Health Committee in Tanzania, an Advisor to the Health Ministry of Pakistan, Her Excellency the Acting Regional Director of Emergencies for WHO EMRO, as well as Mission members Dr. Franco Servadei and Dr. Kee Park.
Mission:BRAIN's presence at the coalition reflects the foundation's continued commitment to pushing neurological and neurosurgical care conversations beyond intervention alone — toward policy reform, systems strengthening, and equitable long-term access to care. Because for Mission, meaningful impact means building global momentum around brain health that not only saves lives in the acute moment, but supports recovery, rehabilitation, and dignity long after.
April also had the opportunity to speak with the Honorable Luke Thompson, Minister of Health of South Sudan, and Dr. Kediende Mapour, Executive Director of the National Public Health Institute of South Sudan, about Dr. Winny Costa — a Mission:BRAIN-WINS scholar who is on track to become the first neurosurgeon of South Sudan. A powerful reminder that sustainable change begins with investing in people, building local expertise, and creating pathways for the next generation of healthcare leaders.
Further Reading
For a deeper look at TBI and its human impact, explore Malakai's Story, created by Norah Hill for the TBI Coalition through her work with Mission:BRAIN and Future Healers.
Check out the Global Coalition for TBI here -> https://tbicoalition.com/
Recording of the 79th world health assembly side-event --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUivXmsTN9c
