Health

KEY POINTS

Alzheimer’s dementia

·         It is a progressive, degenerative brain disease affecting a person’s memory, thinking, and the ability to interact socially.

·         People under the age of 65 years also are prone to the disease which is known as early onset of Alzheimer’s.

WHO goals

·         WHO global plan on dementia calls on governments to meet targets for the advancement of dementia awareness, risk reduction, diagnosis, care and treatment, support for care partners and research.

·         Only 29 out of 194 WHO member countries have a plan of action on dementia, with India not having taken the initiative yet.

Urgency to treat dementia

·         There is yet no cure for dementia and scientists are still searching for cause of this disease.

·         Current treatments merely address the symptoms and not the underlying biological cause of the disease.

·         As per the India Dementia Report 2010 about Rs 43,000 annually per family is spent to take care of a person affected by dementia, the cost is high for many.

·         As the ageing population is rapidly increasing, the economic and social burden of the disease is going to rise in the coming years.

·         It is of great concern that in India many young people migrate leaving older parents behind to fend for themselves.

·         Residential care centres for dementia-affected people are limited.

Solutions

·         Governments have to frame policy on dementia which must be implemented in all states and funded and monitored by the health ministry.

·         Governments must also check the possibility of roping in PPP model in addressing dementia.

·         E.g. Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) have been successful at initiating a Kerala State Initiative on Dementia which is the first public-private partnership for dementia care and awareness.

·         Legal provisions to safeguard and protect the rights, dignity and respect of those affected and in minimising economic costs are the core area India need to address.

·         Training of care givers and initiatives for research on the disease is the need of the hour.

·         Support from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment becomes crucial in India as the disease has many social aspects which need awareness and service facilities at the community level.