Overview:
World Alzheimer's Day is celebrated on September 21st of each year, to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease, a brain disease that causes gradual atrophy of nerve cells in the brain, responsible for cognitive functions. Alzheimer's is one of the most dangerous diseases, even more dangerous than cancer, because the number of those infected has increased significantly in recent years, as the disease has begun to turn into a pandemic, so it is necessary to focus on prevention methods, and awareness of ways to deal with patients, in compliance with Vision 2030 to improve the quality of life.
Objectives:
- Raising awareness of the disease from all aspects: health, psychological, social and physical.
- Developing services provided to Alzheimer's patients.
- Raising awareness of the risk factors for the disease and how to prevent it.
Facts:
- 50 million people suffer from dementia worldwide, and by 2025, the number is expected to reach 140 million.
- There are seven stages of Alzheimer's disease, and with each stage the severity and development of the disease increases.
- There are 130,000 Alzheimer's patients in Saudi Arabia.
- 9.9 million new cases of dementia annually in the world, every three seconds someone develops dementia globally.
- One in three elderly people dies from Alzheimer's or a type of dementia.
- Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia ranked seventh in the list of leading causes of death globally in 2019.
- 65% of Alzheimer's and dementia deaths are women.
Official Date:
Globally: September 21st, 2024
Locally: Rabi Al-Awwal 18th, 1446H
References:
The top 10 causes of death (who. int).
World Alzheimer's Month - September 2023 - Saudi Alzheimer's Disease Association (alz.org.sa).