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Dementia in the Asia Pacific Region |
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 The 15 Asia Pacific member organisations of Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) agreed at their meeting in Singapore in May 2005 to commission a report that would draw the attention of governments, international organisations and aid agencies to the dementia epidemic and the threat that it posed to public health systems. We were asked to act as an Executive to oversee the project.
t is evident that dementia already has dramatic effects on the lives of millions of people across the region and on public health costs. There is no cure yet but much can be done to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and the families who care for them.
The key is to recognise dementia as a health priority and, in doing so, to plan the action to be taken. The Kyoto Declaration by ADI provides a framework for determining the actions required. Actions need to be sensitive to the needs of individual countries respecting their cultural, social and economic contexts.
It is also important to promote collaboration within the region. Countries have a great deal to share with one another in the development of effective health and care services for people with dementia and their families. One priority is to undertake research which improves the information base for those planning services.
It is a remarkable step forward for Alzheimer’s organisations in the region to agree to this report and its release as a shared basis for advocacy. We sincerely hope that the report will be useful to policy makers at both the national and international levels.
Download Report (PDF 393KB)
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