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UN formally recognizes Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias as a major health burden
“This week the United Nations recognized Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as a major health burden,” says Jean Blake, CEO, Alzheimer Society of B.C. “This international recognition will go a long way to increasing awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as a significant health issue which needs to be addressed by governments, hopefully in the form of a national strategy.”
In the second Summit on Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) on global health issues, the UN’s final declaration at the Summit specifically recognizes neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, as an important cause of morbidity that contribute to the global NCD burden and that NCD prevention programmes and health care interventions provide equitable access to effective programmes for these illnesses.
There are 36 million persons living with dementia worldwide today and is a rapidly growing problem especially in lower and middle income countries. Adding Alzheimer’s disease considerations to the health planning effort at the country and World Health Organization level is a major leap forward toward mobilizing the resources and imagination of the public health community.
Marc Wortmann, Executive Director of ADI says: “I am very proud that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are part of the Political Declaration that was agreed on during the Summit. This is a result of extraordinary public policy efforts of the entire Alzheimer’s movement and dementia advocates in many countries as well as our umbrella bodies Alzheimer Europe and Alzheimer’s Disease International. We also mobilized great support with ten international partners, all organizations dedicated to ageing issues, who successfully campaigned to get ageing, dementia and care issues recognized during the Summit.”
Read the draft resolution here.
