Time to Act on Dementia

Dementia banner. Older adult woman with younger woman in loving embrace

With the number of people living with dementia set to almost triple by 2050, it has never been more important to challenge the stigma around dementia and promote a better understanding of the condition, working together to reduce the impact of dementia on individuals, families and communities.

It is time to act on dementia!

About the 2024 campaign.

The World Alzheimer Month campaign theme is “Attitudes to dementia”, which focuses on understanding and addressing the current perceptions and attitudes towards dementia. It aims to address the stigma and missinformation around the condition and ultimately build a more dementia friendly society.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Alzheimer´s Disease International (ADI) teams get together again to develop a communications campaign to be implemented in the Region of the Americas.

Message of Dr Jarbas Barbosa on World Alzheimer's Day - 21 September 2024

What is dementia

Dementia is a term for several diseases that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities. It is caused by many different diseases or injuries that directly and indirectly damage the brain. Alzheimer´s disease is the most common form and may contribute to 60–70% of cases. Other forms include vascular dementia, Lewy bodies dementia (abnormal deposits of protein inside nerve cells), and a group of diseases that contribute to frontotemporal dementia (degeneration of the frontal lobe of the brain).

The condition gets worse over time. It mainly affects older people but not all people will get it as they age. Demntia can also sometimes affect people who are under the age of 65. This is known as young onset dementia.

Dementia treatment and care

There is no cure for dementia, but a lot can be done to support both people living with the illness and those who care for them.

People with dementia can take steps to maintain their quality of life and promote their well-being by:

being physically active
taking part in activities and social interactions that stimulate the brain and maintain daily function.

In addition, some medications can help manage dementia symptoms

Risk factors and prevention

Although age is the strongest known risk factor for dementia, it is not an inevitable consequence of biological ageing.

Studies show that people can reduce their risk of cognitive decline and dementia by being physically active, not smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, controlling their weight, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Additional risk factors include depression, social isolation, low educational attainment, cognitive inactivity and air pollution.

Key Messages

Click on the titles below to display the key messages for each audience

Policy makers

Dementia is a growing public health concern with as many as 10.3 million people living with the condition in the Americas. National Dementia Plans allow governments to prepare, adapt and care for those living with dementia and their carers
eptember is World Alzheimer’s Month, 30 days of global awareness raising advocacy and action.In 2017, all WHO Member States agreed to participate in one public awareness campaign on dementia each year. Awareness raising campaigns can help address misinformation and stigma surrounding the condition and promote risk reduction.
Health and care systems will need to adapt in order to ensure that those living with Alzheimer’s disease can access the best available treatment.

Careers and people living with dementia

If you care for someone living with dementia, remember to take care of yourself. The number of informal care hours spent globally are equal to 67 million full-time care workers.
If you or someone you care for lives with dementia, you are not alone. PAHO/WHO and Alzheimer and dementia associations can provide support and guidance for coping with looking after a loved one with dementia.
Women provide a substantial proportion of informal care to people with dementia, with around two thirds of primary caregivers overall being women.

Healthcare practitioners

Dementia is not a part of normal aging. This World Alzheimer’s Month we are calling on healthcare practitioners to raise awareness, help tackle misconceptions and stigma and pay attention to early signs of dementia in their patients and provide them with counselling and resources.
Low levels of awareness, alongside stigma and discrimination can prevent or delay concerned individuals speaking to their health care practitioners about dementia. An accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia can help unlock treatment, care and support options and assistance to enable those living with a diagnosis to live independently for as long as possible.
Almost 62% of healthcare providers worldwide wrongly think that dementia is part of normal aging.

General public

1 in 4 persons thinks that there is nothing that can be done to prevent dementia, yet evidence suggests that 45% of dementia could be delayed or prevented by modifiable risk factors.
Let's break the silence on dementia! Stigma and discrimination can prevent people from seeking help and lead to isolation and loneliness in those living with this condition and their carers. Let's normalize conversations and raise awareness around the condition. Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia.
If you or someone you know is showing signs and symptoms of dementia it is important to speak to your doctor. There are estimated to be 10.3 million people living with the condition in the Americas, however many people do so without a formal diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis of dementia can help improve access to treatment, care and support to enable those living with a diagnosis to live independently for as long as possible.

10 Warning Signs

Know the most common warning signs of dementia:

Memory loss
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Problems with language
Disorientation to time and place
Poor or decreased judgement
Problems keeping track of things
Misplacing things
Changes in mood and behavior
Challenges understanding visual and spatial information
Withdrawal from work or social activities

Join the campaign!

Join us in this year´s campaign to raise awareness about dementia and challenge stigma.

Check the events organized near you by local ADI members and support them.

Below you can find posters and social media cards that you can use and share in your social media platforms or in events.

Communication Material

Find in the following link a collection of posters that you can download and use in your campaign events and activities.

Poster of an African descendant couple, where the woman is embrazing the man from the back

Posters

In the following link you can find the collection of social media cards to be used in the campaign.

Stay tuned for additional assets in the coming weeks.

Social media cards

Resources for caregivers

Resources for Healthcare Workers and Policy Makers

About PAHO

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is the specialized international health agency for the Region of the Americas. It works with countries throughout the Rregion to improve and protect people's health.

PAHO engages in technical cooperation with its 35 member countries to fight communicable and noncommunicable diseases and their causes, to strengthen health systems, and to respond to emergencies and disasters. PAHO is committed to ensuring that all people have access to the health care they need, when they need it, with quality and without fear of falling into poverty.Through its work, PAHO promotes and supports the right of everyone to good health.

Learn more:
DEMENTIA

About Alzheimer´s Disease International

Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) is the international federation of 105 dementia and Alzheimer associations from around the world and is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). ADI’s vision is prevention, care and inclusion today, and cure tomorrow.

ADI believes that the key to winning the fight against dementia lies in a unique combination of global solutions and local knowledge. As such, ADI works locally by empowering Alzheimer and dementia associations to promote and offer care and support for people with dementia and their care partners, while working globally to focus attention on dementia and campaigning for policy change from governments.

Learn more:

Alzheimer´s Disease International