The symposium “The Globalisation of Dementia: Issues and Responses” was held on October 26 in Pavilion Conference Centre in Cape Town, hosted by ILC-South Africa and ILC Global Alliance. The representatives of the ILC Global Alliance Centers took each share of presentation, with attendance of a number of people including officials of South Africa government, those involved in health care and welfare, and journalists.
In the symposium, the current situation was reported and problems were indicated in Part 1: Issues and challenges, while in Part 2: Responses and best practices, specific response cases were introduced and a proposal was submitted. At the end of the symposium “Declaration on a Global Response to Dementia” was brought up.
NTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON DEMENTIA
The globalisation of dementia:
Issues and responses
Part 1: Issues and challenges |
Chairperson: Professor Monica Ferreira (President, ILC South Africa) |
・Presentation (1) “Future demographic challenges and the urgency to improve the management of dementia” - Dr. Hans Groth (CEO, Pfizer Inc.; Member, Board of Trustees, World Demographic and Ageing Forum, Switzerland) |
・Presentation (2) “Dementia issues, policy and practices in the UK” - Baroness Sally Greengross (Executive Chair, ILC United Kingdom) |
・Panel Input:(ILC Argentina、ILC India) |
Part 2: Responses and best practices |
Chairperson: Baroness Sally Greengross (Executive Chair, ILC United Kingdom) |
・Presentation (3) “Is an Alzheimer Plan an appropriate response?” - Professor Francoise Forette (President, ILC France) |
・Presentation (4) “Responses to dementia in Less Developed Countries, with a focus on South Africa” - Dr. Sebastiana Kalula (Director, ILC South Africa) |
・Panel Input:(ILC Israel, ILC Japan, ILC Netherlands) |
Synthesis - Dr. Mary Ann Tsao (President, ILC Singapore). |
・Draft ILC Declaration on a Global Response to Dementia - Dr. Masako Osako (Executive Director - Secretariat, ILC Global Alliance) |
In the opening presentation titled “Future demographic challenges and the urgency to improve the management of dementia” Dr. Hans Groth pointed out social and economic challenges raised by dementia will be one of the most crucial global issues, suggesting the estimate that the population of older people in the world will be more than 2 billion by the middle of this century. He stressed the need of strategies against dementia both at the state level and on a world scale, and expressed his expectation that Japan with the highest ratio of older people should continue to play an important role for the future.
Baroness Sally Greengross, Executive Chair of ILC UK and Professor Francoise Forette, President of ILC France explained the details of national strategies concerning dementia in the United Kingdom and France respectively including “Improvement of QOL of persons with dementia and their caregivers,” “Enrichment of research,” “To give dementia issues top priority in Europe,” etc., noting they would make further effort in future.
Dr. Sebastiana Kalula, Director of ILC South Africa reported older women in South Africa are discriminated in many social, economic and political fields, while facing widespread of serious infection (especially HIV/AIDS) and also limited access to health care.
The panelists except the presenters mainly introduced experiences in each country. From Japan, experiences of 10 Year Campaign to Understand Dementia and Campaign to Build a Dementia-friendly Community were explained, focused on the importance of developing national campaign and community-based support for people with dementia.
In the Synthesis, the effort of Japan was highly evaluated for establishing the public long-term care insurance system leading the world in terms of long-term care and promoting national campaigns placing stress on community-building. Moreover, also confirmed was the importance of national strategies on dementia to address this issue by the entire society.
At the end of the symposium, Dr. Osako, Executive Director – Secretariat, ILC Global Alliance proposed “International Longevity Center Global Alliance Cape Town Declaration on a Global Response to Dementia,” which was approved by all the participants.
International Longevity Center Global Alliance
Cape Town
Declaration on a Global Response to Dementia
(Summary)
ILC Global Alliance calls for action as below for all levels of government, and for civil society, academia, communities and individuals to protect the rights of persons with dementia as well as their family members and caregivers.
The details of the symposium are to appear on a special issue of Global Ageing, the journal of the International Federation on Ageing (IFA). (To be published in June 2011)
(Reference)
“National Dementia Strategy” (UK Department of Health)
Qu’est-ce-que le plan Alzheimer 2008-2012 ? (French Government)
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