Call for the recognition of ageing, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in the 2011 UN Summit on NCDs
This spring 1,200 delegates from 60 countries gathered in Toronto for the 26th International conference of Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI). During the conference delegates considered issues pertinent to the forthcoming High Level Summit on Non Communicable Diseases to be held in September 2011 at the United Nations.In advance of those discussion delegates noted that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are not included in the initial UN resolution calling for the NCD Summit. They also noted the predicted increase in people over 60, who will therefore be at risk of all NCDs, including most importantly Alzheimer’s disease.
Delegates observed that the implications of ageing and the associated risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is a key factor for the 21st century’s social and economic sustainability, and should therefore be an essential component of the UN’s NCD considerations. The Alzheimer Society of Canada is working with our international partners to include Alzheimer disease in the NCD negotiations.
Knowing what lies ahead, global experts in dementia are urging all governments to make Alzheimer’s disease a health priority.
In the 2010 World Alzheimer Report, Alzheimer’s Disease International developed a model for planning dementia services and a graduated approach for countries with limited resources.
These are practical steps that all governments can take to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and their carers.
The model represents the goal of comprehensive dementia services that relatively high income countries should aspire to achieve. Governments in Australia, France and the United Kingdom are already working along these lines. The South Korean government has declared ‘War on Dementia.’ The Netherlands government, in conjunction with the national Alzheimer association, has issued a Guideline for Integrated Dementia Care.
On January 4, 2011, U.S. President Obama signed the “National Dementia Plan Act”. The United States has become yet another advanced country in which the problem of dementia is treated as a national policy, following Australia, South Korea, France and Britain. This is a major global health indicator.
