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ADI Launches ‘Let’s Talk About Dementia’ Global Campaign For World Alzheimer’s Month

ADIThis September, Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) launches a global campaign under the theme of ‘Let’s Talk About Dementia’ for World Alzheimer’s Month. Every September, World Alzheimer’s Month is an international campaign which aims to raise awareness about dementia and this year specifically focusses on challenging the stigma that persists globally.

The ‘Let’s Talk About Dementia’ campaign encourages that often difficult first conversation and highlights the importance continuing to talk about and discuss dementia – to normalise the language and help to take away the fear.  It encourages people to seek out more information, help, advice and support.

To mark World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September, ADI will also be releasing this year’s World Alzheimer Report. The report draws on the results of a survey conducted by ADI and the London School of Economics (LSE), which focuses on attitudes towards dementia. The survey, which saw nearly 70,000 responses from 155 countries, is the largest ever undertaken on the subject.

According to ADI CEO, Paola Barbarino: “A key finding in the survey shows that 2 out of 3 people that responded still think that dementia is caused by normal ageing. We must break through the stigma and get people talking openly about dementia to plan well and to access support.”

Alongside further results from the survey, the report will also contain essays from experts and case studies.

For World Alzheimer’s Month, ADI will also launch an Americas-wide version of the ‘Let’s Talk About Dementia’ campaign in partnership with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), as part of the PAHO regional Plan on Action on Dementia (2015-2019). Stigma surrounding dementia in the region is considered a key barrier to people accessing the help, advice and support they require. By encouraging more dialogue around dementia, the campaign aims to make aware of the wide support available in the region and how planning can help people live well longer.

PAHO Director, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, says: “The lack of knowledge about dementia and how an affected person might behave has led to stigma being associated with the disease. This campaign will focus on increasing conversations around dementia everywhere, as talking is often the first step to awareness, understanding and breaking barriers to diagnosis and care.””

To learn more about World Alzheimer’s Month and PAHO, as well as access a variety of campaign materials that are available in multiple languages, please visit: http://www.worldalzmonth.org.

 

Nestle