Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects over 50 million people worldwide each year, generating nearly USD 400 billion in annual global socioeconomic costs and leaving lasting physical, cognitive, and social consequences for patients and their entourage.
The burden is rising in ageing societies where older adults face increasing vulnerability, while injuries in working-age populations drive healthcare expenditures and productivity losses that impact national economies.
Launched through the fundraising Gala of 20 March 2025, this initiative was developed through a scientific collaboration between the NeuroCentre at Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) and EPFL’s Geospatial Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory (GeoME), enabling the first geospatial epidemiological mapping based on 10 years of neurosurgical data from the Canton of Geneva, revealing that TBI risk follows identifiable geographical and seasonal patterns.
By integrating rigorous epidemiology with advanced geospatial intelligence, we identify high-risk populations and territories, creating new opportunities to engage healthcare systems and policymakers in smarter, targeted, and equitable prevention strategies.
With continued support, this breakthrough can expand globally, transforming data into prevention and prevention into lasting societal impact.
Scientific publication available here: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.25.25334340v1
Initial support provided by Threestones Foundation.
