Summary
Each September, Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), the federation of 105 dementia associations from around the world, organises the global awareness raising campaign World Alzheimer’s Month. The campaign unites people from all corners of the world to raise awareness and to challenge the stigma that persists around Alzheimer’s disease and all types of dementia. Each year has a theme, and the 2022 campaign focused on raising the profile of the need for better post-diagnostic support for those living with dementia and carers, which is often inadequate, inaccessible or not available at all in many parts of the world. During the month, ADI also releases the World Alzheimer Report. The World Alzheimer Reports are a comprehensive source of global socioeconomic information on dementia. Each World Alzheimer Report is on a different topic, so the previous reports remain important sources of information with global relevance. In 2020 ADI released the World Alzheimer Report, Design, Dignity, Dementia: dementia-related design and the built environment which looked at dementia-related design, its progress to date, best practice, pioneers and innovators across multiple environments including in home/domestic settings, day and residential care, hospitals and public buildings and spaces. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ADI also raised the profile of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on those living with dementia, including highlighting ageist and discriminatory practises by some countries. ADI continues this work through its participation in the negotiations for a new WHO treaty on pandemic preparedness and response through the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body.
Planning and Implementation
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What was the challenge you were trying to address?
Each year ADI and its federation of members organise the global awareness raising campaign World Alzheimer’s Month. The campaign aims to challenge the stigma and discrimination which still exists around the condition. Started in 2012, World Alzheimer’s Month takes place every September and has a different key message or theme each year, which can be used to raise awareness, educate or challenge the public’s misconceptions about dementia. Through this campaign we have further highlighted the importance of dementia friendly design, the importance improving long term care and integrated care globally as well as the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 and those living with dementia.
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Who were you trying to impact?
Older people in general, Older people with chronic health conditions or disability, Older people with vulnerabilities, Both older and younger people
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What sectors were you targeting?
Education, Health, Housing, Information and Communication, Labour, Long-term care, Social protection, Transportation, Urban development
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Who else was involved?
Government, Civil Society Organization, Older People's Association, Academia, Health Care, Social Care, Private Sector
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How did older people participate?
Older people were part of the process at multiple or all stages
Lessons learned
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Please describe how collaboration worked in your initiative.
Alzheimer's Disease International is a federation of 105 Alzheimer's disease and dementia associations from around the world and is a non-state actor in official relations with the WHO. During the month of September, ADI associations participate in the World Alzheimer's Month campaign alongside the UN, WHO and the Vatican, in addition to some governments. Additionally other civil society and older persons organizations such as NCD Alliance, HelpAge International will also participate. Research organisations including EU-FINGERS, Global Brain Health Institute, The University of McGill, Leeds Beckett University, Women's Brain Project participated in this year's campaign. As well as those living with the condition, informal carers and healthcare practitioners.
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What was the impact of your initiative on older people, their families, and/or their communities?
Since 2017, Alzheimer's Disease International has tracked the engagement of the public with the World Alzheimer's Month campaign across social media and participating countries. In 2017, 50 countries were engaging in World Alzheimer's Month, this increased to over 111 in 2022. Social media impressions were 800,000 in 2018, which increased to over 45 million in 2021. In 2019, Alzheimer's Disease International published a World Alzheimer Report entitled Attitudes to dementia where it found that 62% of Healthcare Practitioners believed that dementia is a normal part of aging with one in four of the general public believing there is nothing that can be done about dementia. In 2023, Alzheimer's Disease International will revisit this topic and will take stock of whether awareness raising over the past five years has affected the publics perceptions to dementia.
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What issues did you face, and how did you address them?
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What lessons did you learn from implementing this initiative?
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Do you have any other reflections you would like to share?
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