I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4621 
To galvanize United States Government programs in support of brain health 
for global victims of autism, hydrocephalus and Alzheimer’s and other 
forms of dementia, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 12, 2017 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. COHEN, and Mr. MCGOVERN) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on For-
eign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To galvanize United States Government programs in support 
of brain health for global victims of autism, hydro-
cephalus and Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Brain Health 
Act of 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The brain is the center of the human nerv-
ous system, exerting centralized control over all 
other organs of the body. 
(2) Abnormalities in sections of the brain— 
namely the corpus callosum (which facilitates com-
munication between the two hemispheres of the 
brain), the amygdala (which affects emotion and so-
cial behavior) and the cerebellum (which is involved 
with motor activity, balance, and coordination)— 
usually occur during prenatal development. 
(3) Three main brain disorders are autism, hy-
drocephalus and Alzheimer’s and other forms of de-
mentia. They impact people in both the developed 
and developing world, but weigh more heavily on 
sufferers in developing countries due to lack of effec-
tive health care, lack of access to health care or cul-
tural influences that inhibit treatment of sufferers of 
one of these conditions. 
(4) Autism is a complex neurological disorder 
that affects an individual in the areas of social inter-
action and communication. Because it is a spectrum 
disorder, it affects each individual differently and to 
varying degrees of severity. People with autism proc-
ess and respond to information in unique ways. In 
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some cases, coexisting medical issues and aggressive 
or self-injurious behavior may be present. 
(5) The occurrence of autism spectrum dis-
orders (ASD) has increased during the past decade 
from an estimated one in 150 in 2000 to an esti-
mated one in 68 in 2012, according to data released 
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC) in December 2016. CDC classified as suf-
fering from ASD children whose behaviors were con-
sistent with the DSM–IV–TR criteria for Autistic 
Disorder, Asperger Disorder, and Pervasive Develop-
mental Disorder—Not Otherwise Specified (PDD– 
NOS). 
(6) The increased number of children diagnosed 
with autism is a growing and urgent concern for 
families, healthcare professionals, and educators, as 
the health and education systems struggle to re-
spond to the needs of this population in a com-
prehensive manner. 
(7) The prevalence of autism in developing 
countries is also growing rapidly, and health and 
education systems in these countries are particularly 
ill-equipped to deal with these issues. According to 
the World Health Organization, tens of millions of 
individuals in Africa are affected by autism. 
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(8) Children with autism who receive intensive 
and appropriate educational services before age 5 
often make significant functional improvements. In 
the United States, significant efforts are being pur-
sued to expand early diagnosis and the provision of 
these services. In a report on the identification, eval-
uation, and management of children with autism, 
the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended 
in November 2007 that all children should be 
screened for developmental delays and disabilities, 
presumably including autism, twice by the age of 2, 
even if they have no symptoms. Early screening and 
services for autism are sorely lacking in most of the 
developing world. An opportunity exists to use 
United States expertise to significantly aid children 
and families in developing countries, for relatively 
small costs. 
(9) Hydrocephalus, also known as ‘‘water on 
the brain’’, is a medical condition in which an abnor-
mal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ven-
tricles or cavities of the brain causes increased 
intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive 
enlargement of the head. If left untreated, hydro-
cephalus leads to physical and mental disabilities 
and eventually death. 
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(10) Hydrocephalus is an extremely painful 
condition that most commonly occurs in infants and 
young children as a result of a congenital abnor-
mality (anatomic abnormality, aqueductal stenosis, 
spina bifida or encephalocele), or post-infectious hy-
drocephalus (PIH) caused by infections acquired 
after birth, such as meningitis, that attack the 
brain. 
(11) In developed countries, up to one of every 
1,000 newborns develop hydrocephalus, while up to 
five of every 1,000 newborns in developing countries 
develop the condition. It is conservatively estimated 
that more than 300,000 children are born with or 
acquire hydrocephalus in the developing world each 
year. Experts posit that hydrocephalus is more com-
mon in developing countries because of higher birth 
rates, as well as high rates of nutritional defi-
ciencies, low infant birth weight, and perinatal and 
neonatal infections. 
(12) Children with hydrocephalus who are not 
effectively treated or who are not treated in the early 
stages of the condition suffer from cognitive defi-
ciencies or physical disabilities or both. 
(13) Families of children who have hydro-
cephalus in developing countries rarely know that it 
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is a treatable condition, where to go for treatment, 
or how to care for a child suffering from the condi-
tion. In addition, access to care is limited in many 
developing countries due to low numbers of prac-
ticing neurosurgeons. In 2007, for example, Africa 
had 565 neurosurgeons, roughly 86 percent of whom 
were practicing in South Africa and Northern Afri-
ca. 
(14) Many children with hydrocephalus in de-
veloping countries are abandoned, ostracized, or 
abused due to their appearance, physical and mental 
disabilities, and inadequate options for care. 
(15) Hydrocephalus can be treated, and ad-
vances in innovative medical procedures such as 
ETV/CPC have the potential to save thousands of 
lives annually and prevent or mitigate physical and 
mental disabilities in thousands of children in devel-
oping countries. 
(16) A number of international studies show 
that between 3.5 to 15 percent of all patients diag-
nosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia 
actually have Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, a 
condition in which there is too much cerebrospinal 
fluid, used to cushion and protect the brain and spi-
nal cord, in cavities in the brain called ventricles. 
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Such significant incidents of misdiagnosis illustrate 
the need for greater awareness among members of 
the medical profession and the general public of 
adult hydrocephalus, as well as the need for adopt-
ing a holistic approach towards brain health instead 
of a siloed one. 
(17) Dementia is a degenerative condition 
caused by disease of the brain—usually of a chronic 
or progressive nature in which there is disturbance 
of multiple higher cortical functions, including mem-
ory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calcula-
tion, learning capacity, language, and judgment. Be-
tween 5 to 7 percent of the world’s population age 
60 and above are estimated to have dementia. 
(18) Dementia can be caused by various fac-
tors, including traumatic or localized brain injury, a 
temporary interruption of the brain’s supply of blood 
or oxygen, infection, stroke, brain hemorrhage, pro-
longed seizures, or even excessive alcohol use. 
(19) According to Alzheimer’s Disease Inter-
national, more than 47,000,000 people worldwide 
were suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia in 
2015, a figure that will expand to more than 
75,000,000 people by 2030 and more than 
131,000,000 people by 2050 if the current trajectory 
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of the disease remains unchanged. Globally, a new 
person develops dementia every four seconds. Almost 
60 percent of people with dementia globally live in 
low-to-middle income countries, and by 2050 this 
percentage will exceed 70 percent. 
(20) Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias 
impose a devastating, unsustainable, and rapidly 
growing toll on the health and fiscal well-being of 
the United States and all countries. In 2015, demen-
tia care cost an estimated $818,000,000,000, world-
wide, more than 1 percent of the world’s Gross Do-
mestic Product (GDP). The cost of dementia care is 
projected to reach $2,000,000,000,000 by 2030. 
TITLE I—GLOBAL AUTISM 
ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 101. GLOBAL AUTISM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.—The Adminis-
trator for the United States Agency for International De-
velopment shall establish and administer a health and edu-
cation grant program, to be known as the Global Autism 
Assistance Program, to— 
(1) support activities under subsection (c)(2) by 
nongovernmental organizations and other service 
providers, including advocacy groups, focused on au-
tism in developing countries; and 
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(2) establish a ‘‘teach the teachers’’ program 
under subsection (d) to train health and education 
professionals working with children with autism in 
developing countries. 
(b) DESIGNATION OF ELIGIBLE REGIONS.—Not later 
than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator, in consultation with knowledgeable au-
tism organizations such as the World Autism Organiza-
tion, the Autism Society of America, and Autism Speaks, 
shall designate not fewer than two regions in developing 
countries that are determined to— 
(1) require assistance in dealing with autism; 
and 
(2) have sufficient familiarity with issues re-
lated to autism to make effective use of the Global 
Autism Assistance Program. 
(c) SELECTION OF IMPLEMENTING NGO.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the designation of eligible regions pursuant to 
subsection (b), the Administrator shall select and 
award a grant under this section to a nongovern-
mental organization with experience in autism-re-
lated issues to implement the Global Autism Assist-
ance Program through selection and awarding of 
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grants to local service providers and advocacy groups 
focused on autism. 
(2) ACTIVITIES.—A local service provider or ad-
vocacy group that receives a grant under paragraph 
(1) may use such grant to carry out any of the fol-
lowing activities (including, as appropriate, the 
translation into local languages of relevant English- 
language publications): 
(A) EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO THE 
PUBLIC.—Use public service announcements 
and other public media to help the public be-
come more aware of the signs of autism so that 
children with autism can be diagnosed and 
treated earlier. 
(B) SUPPORT TO FAMILIES.—Development 
of resources for families, such as online web re-
source centers in local languages, dissemination 
of materials to parents of newly diagnosed chil-
dren, such as information contained in the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention’s publi-
cation entitled ‘‘Learn the Signs, Act Early’’, or 
other suitable alternatives, and dissemination of 
educational aids and guides to help parents 
with their children’s development. 
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(C) SUPPORT TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITU-
TIONS.—Funding for schools or other edu-
cational institutions, focusing on teachers of the 
youngest students, and including the distribu-
tion of equipment or of the materials referred 
to in subparagraph (B). 
(D) SUPPORT TO CLINICS AND MEDICAL 
CENTERS.—Provision of funding to clinics and 
medical centers with proven records in address-
ing autism to assist with operating expenses, in-
cluding personnel, equipment supplies, and fa-
cilities, development of assessment testing for 
autism, and acquisition of specialized equip-
ment, such as augmentative communication de-
vices. 
(3) APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS.— 
(A) SUBMISSION
OF
APPLICATIONS.—To 
be eligible to receive a grant from the imple-
menting nongovernmental organization, a local 
service provider or advocacy group shall submit 
to such implementing nongovernmental organi-
zation an application at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as 
such implementing nongovernmental organiza-
tion may require. 
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(B) 
ESTABLISHMENT
OF
SCREENING 
BOARD.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—The implementing 
nongovernmental organization responsible 
for implementing the Global Autism Assist-
ance Program shall establish a screening 
board to be known as the Project Advisory 
Board to review for content and appro-
priateness applications from local service 
providers or advocacy groups submitted in 
accordance with subparagraph (A). 
(ii) MEMBERSHIP.—The members of 
the Project Advisory Board shall be ap-
pointed by the implementing nongovern-
mental organization, in consultation with 
the Administrator, and in accordance with 
the following provisions: 
(I) Each member shall serve for 
a term of one year and each member 
may serve as many as three consecu-
tive terms. 
(II) A member of the Project Ad-
visory Board may continue to serve 
after the expiration of the term of 
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such member until such time as a suc-
cessor is appointed. 
(III) Membership of the Project 
Advisory Board shall include at least 
seven voting members who are mem-
bers of autism advocacy groups, pro-
fessionals working with autism, or 
otherwise associated with the autism 
community. Among the voting mem-
bers of the Board shall be at least two 
parents from different families of indi-
viduals with autism, one medical pro-
fessional working with autism, one 
teacher of individuals with autism, 
and one individual who has autism. 
Efforts shall be made to include on 
the Project Advisory Board individ-
uals with experience working in the 
developing world. 
(IV) Membership of the Project 
Advisory Board shall include non-vot-
ing members as determined appro-
priate by the Administrator. 
(V) Membership of the Project 
Advisory Board shall be chosen so as 
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to ensure objectivity and balance and 
to reduce the potential for conflicts of 
interest. 
(4) SUPPORT
AND
ASSISTANCE.—The imple-
menting nongovernmental organization shall provide, 
contract for, and coordinate technical assistance in 
support of its mission in meeting the goals and pur-
poses of this Act. 
(d) TEACH THE TEACHERS.—The implementing non-
governmental organization, acting on behalf of the Admin-
istrator, in consultation with the Project Advisory Board, 
shall establish a program, to be known as the Teach the 
Teachers Program, to— 
(1) identify health and education professionals 
to receive specialized training for teaching and work-
ing with youth with autism, including training con-
ducted in two- or three-day workshops at locations 
within one of the regions designated pursuant to 
subsection (b); and 
(2) conduct training through two- or three-day 
biomedical conferences in at least two of the regions 
designated pursuant to subsection (b), including 
bringing medical and psychological specialists from 
the United States to train and educate parents and 
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health professionals who deal with autism, including 
training related to— 
(A) biomedical interventions that can af-
fect autism; 
(B) how nutrition and various metabolic 
issues can impact behavior; 
(C) the role of applied behavioral analysis; 
and 
(D) various occupational and speech thera-
pies in fighting autism. 
(e) FUNDING.—To carry out this section, the Admin-
istrator shall allocate amounts that have been appro-
priated or otherwise made available to the United States 
Agency for International Development. 
(f) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Administrator shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions of the Senate on an annual basis a report on activi-
ties carried out under this section during the prior cal-
endar year. 
(g) AUTISM DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘‘autism’’ means all conditions consistent with autism 
spectrum disorders described in section 2(5). 
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TITLE II—INTERNATIONAL HY-
DROCEPHALUS 
TREATMENT 
AND TRAINING 
SEC. 201. ASSISTANCE TO TREAT HYDROCEPHALUS AND 
TRAIN SURGEONS. 
Chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act 
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et. seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 137. ASSISTANCE TO TREAT HYDROCEPHALUS AND 
TRAIN SURGEONS. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of assistance author-
ized by this section are— 
‘‘(1) to ensure that life-saving treatment of hy-
drocephalus is an important priority of United 
States bilateral foreign assistance, including through 
promotion of innovative treatments and training of 
medical practitioners from the developing world in 
the latest treatment protocols and best practices for 
the treatment of hydrocephalus, including— 
‘‘(A) surgery and post-surgery care in de-
veloping countries; 
‘‘(B) the creation of a comprehensive hy-
drocephalus training program based in the de-
veloping world for surgeons and key members 
of their medical team; and 
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‘‘(C) the training of medical practitioners 
based in the developing world in ETV/CPC and 
other appropriate treatment protocols; and 
‘‘(2) to promote research to reduce the inci-
dence of PIH epidemiology, pathophysiology, and 
disease burden, and to improve treatment of hydro-
cephalus. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION.—To carry out the purposes of 
subsection (a), the President is authorized to provide as-
sistance to support a network of trained medical practi-
tioners to treat hydrocephalus in children at pediatric hos-
pitals and hydrocephalus treatment centers in developing 
countries with a high incidence of hydrocephalus. 
‘‘(c) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.— 
‘‘(1) COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Assistance provided 
under subsection (b) shall, to the maximum ex-
tent practicable, be used to establish a com-
prehensive program to administer global hydro-
cephalus treatment and training activities uti-
lizing a network of pediatric hospitals capable 
of performing endoscopic surgery in developing 
countries. 
‘‘(B) ADMINISTRATION.—The program de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) shall be adminis-
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tered by healthcare executives and neuro-
surgeons with expertise in the treatment of hy-
drocephalus. 
‘‘(C) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The responsibil-
ities of the administrators described in subpara-
graph (B) shall include— 
‘‘(i) developing an appropriate edu-
cation and training curriculum; 
‘‘(ii) 
establishing 
quality 
control 
standards; 
‘‘(iii) instituting safety guidelines and 
standards; and 
‘‘(iv) developing monitoring and eval-
uation protocols. 
‘‘(2) TRAINING HOSPITAL.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Assistance provided 
under subsection (b) shall, to the maximum ex-
tent practicable, be used to establish a surgeon 
training program within a pediatric hospital 
based in a developing country with a high inci-
dence of hydrocephalus with the goal of training 
four surgeons annually and a total of 20 sur-
geons over a 5-year period to treat hydro-
cephalus utilizing the ETV/CPC technique. 
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‘‘(B) TIMELINE.—To the maximum extent 
practicable, the surgeon training program de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) should be oper-
ational no later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this section. 
‘‘(C) TRAINING
ADMISSIONS
CRITERIA.— 
Candidates for the surgeon training program 
established under subparagraph (A) shall— 
‘‘(i) have a demonstrated commitment 
to providing medical assistance in the de-
veloping world; and 
‘‘(ii) certify that the candidate intends 
to remain and practice medicine in the de-
veloping world following completion of the 
program. 
‘‘(D) 
TRAINING
PROGRAM
METHOD-
OLOGY.—The surgeon training program estab-
lished under subparagraph (A) shall— 
‘‘(i) be conducted by a neurosurgeon 
with a minimum of 3 years of full-time op-
erating experience in the developing world; 
‘‘(ii) be a hands-on operating room ex-
perience in the developing world; 
‘‘(iii) utilize a hydrocephalus treat-
ment protocol with an emphasis on ETV/ 
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CPC as the preferred treatment when 
medically appropriate; and 
‘‘(iv) require that each trainee com-
plete a minimum of 50 ETV/CPC or ETV 
procedures and at least 25 VP shunt pro-
cedures. 
‘‘(3) TREATMENT CENTERS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Assistance provided 
under subsection (b) shall, to the maximum ex-
tent practicable, be used to establish at least 20 
hydrocephalus treatment centers located at pub-
lic and private hospitals in developing countries 
with a high incidence of hydrocephalus, which 
shall include treatment costs, endoscopy equip-
ment and medical supplies necessary to provide 
ETV/CPC procedures to treat hydrocephalus. 
‘‘(B) STAFFING.—The treatment centers 
described in subparagraph (A) shall be staffed 
by— 
‘‘(i) one or more surgeons who have 
successfully completed the surgeon training 
program provided pursuant to paragraph 
(2); and 
‘‘(ii) a patient care administrator. 
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‘‘(C) TREATMENT.—The treatment centers 
described in subparagraph (A) shall— 
‘‘(i) provide surgery to treat hydro-
cephalus in children; 
‘‘(ii) perform at least 50 hydro-
cephalus surgeries annually including a 
minimum of 25 ETV or ETV/CPC sur-
geries; and 
‘‘(iii) provide post-surgery care and 
support for the children treated in accord-
ance with clause (i). 
‘‘(4) MEDICAL
RECORDS
AND
DATA.—Assist-
ance provided under subsection (b) shall, to the 
maximum extent practicable, include the mainte-
nance of medical records which track patient care 
activities and information about the causes and inci-
dence rates of PIH. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) CPC.—The term ‘CPC’ means choroid 
plexus cauterization, a surgical procedure to reduce 
the production of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. 
‘‘(2) ETV.—The term ‘ETV’ means endoscopic 
third ventriculostomy, a shunt-less surgical proce-
dure in which an opening is created in the floor of 
the third ventricle of the brain allowing cerebro-
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spinal fluid to bypass any obstruction and flow di-
rectly to the basal cisterns. 
‘‘(3) ETV/CPC.—The term ‘ETV/CPC’ means 
the shunt-less surgical method for treating hydro-
cephalus through the combination of ETV and CPC 
surgical procedures. 
‘‘(4) 
HYDROCEPHALUS.—The 
term 
‘hydro-
cephalus’ means a medical condition in which an ab-
normal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the 
ventricles or cavities of the brain causes increased 
intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive 
enlargement of the head. 
‘‘(5) MEDICAL
PRACTITIONERS.—The term 
‘medical practitioners’ means physicians, nurses, and 
other clinicians, such as physical therapists. 
‘‘(6) PIH.—The term ‘PIH’ means post-infec-
tious or acquired hydrocephalus which is the onset 
of hydrocephalus after birth due to the affects of an 
infection, such as meningitis, that has attacked the 
brain. 
‘‘(7) VP SHUNT.—The term ‘VP shunt’ means 
a ventriculoperitonea shunt which is a plastic tube 
that is regulated by a valve and surgically placed in 
a brain ventricle that allows the cerebrospinal fluid 
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to flow out of the brain through the tube and into 
the patient’s abdomen. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the 
amounts made available to carry out this chapter for child 
survival and maternal health programs through the Bu-
reau of Global Health of the United States Agency for 
International Development, there are authorized to be ap-
propriated to the President $375,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2019 through 2023 to carry out this section.’’. 
TITLE III—INTERNATIONAL ALZ-
HEIMER’S DISEASE AND DE-
MENTIA PROGRAMS 
SEC. 301. GLOBAL ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA 
ACTION PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall enter into negotiations with the 
World Health Organization to develop a plan for address-
ing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia glob-
ally, to be known as the Global Alzheimer’s Disease and 
Dementia Action Plan, focused on the following areas: 
(1) Research, including— 
(A) clinical research; and 
(B) development of a stable and sustained 
international commitment to research. 
(2) Regulatory issues. 
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(3) Clinical care. 
(4) Supportive services for patients and care-
givers, including supports using innovative tech-
nologies. 
(5) Prevention and health promotion. 
(6) Public awareness and education, particu-
larly efforts aimed at reducing stigmas and increas-
ing the inclusion of persons with Alzheimer’s disease 
and dementia within civil society. 
(b) INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In developing the plan under 
subsection (a), the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services— 
(A) shall seek— 
(i) to enter into partnerships with 
other nations that have in place national 
plans for addressing Alzheimer’s disease 
and other forms of dementia; and 
(ii) to the greatest extent possible, en-
sure that the plan under subsection (a) is 
compatible with the plans of such other na-
tions; and 
(B) in the case of other nations that do 
not have such plans in place, shall encourage 
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such nations to develop and implement such 
plans. 
(2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 
the Congress that the Group of Eight (G8) nations, 
working with the Group of Twenty (G20) nations, 
the Group of Seventy-Seven (G77) nations, and 
other organizations including the Organization for 
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 
should investigate systems to monitor and provide 
care to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and 
other forms of dementia in developing countries to 
help build care delivery capacity. 
SEC. 302. GLOBAL ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA 
FUND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, working with the Secretary of the Treas-
ury, other nations, nongovernmental organizations, and 
private entities, shall seek to establish a fund, to be known 
as the Global Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Fund, 
to provide resources to support implementation of the 
Global Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Action Plan. 
(b) EARLY-STAGE EFFORTS.—In the early stages of 
carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall establish priority areas of focus and 
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a governance structure for the Global Alzheimer’s Disease 
and Dementia Fund. 
SEC. 303. ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA COORDI-
NATOR. 
The President shall appoint a high-level official from 
the Department of Health and Human Services to lead 
and coordinate all efforts of the Federal Government with 
respect to developing the Global Alzheimer’s Disease and 
Dementia Action Plan and the Global Alzheimer’s Disease 
and Dementia Fund. 
SEC. 304. FOREIGN AID IMPLICATIONS. 
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in col-
laboration with the heads of the United States Agency for 
International Development and other relevant Federal de-
partments and agencies, shall— 
(1) investigate the foreign aid implications of 
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia; 
and 
(2) inform Congress as to the need for possible 
changes to health care-related foreign assistance. 
SEC. 305. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. 
The President shall encourage and facilitate partner-
ships between the Federal Government and the private 
sector, such as the partnerships in effect between the Na-
tional Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical companies, 
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to identify new approaches to treat Alzheimer’s disease 
and other forms of dementia. 
Æ 
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