Global action plan 2017-2025
The World Health Organization have released a Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017-2025 which aims to improve the lives of people with dementia, their carers and families, while decreasing the impact of dementia on communities and countries. It provides a set of actions to realize the vision of a world in which dementia is prevented and people with dementia and their carers receive the care and support they need to live a life with meaning and dignity.
Areas for action include: increasing prioritisation and awareness of dementia; reducing the risk of dementia; diagnosis, treatment and care; support for dementia carers; strengthening information systems for dementia; and research and innovation.
The Global Dementia Observatory
The Global Dementia Observatory (GDO) is a data and knowledge exchange platform that offers easy access to key dementia data from Member States across the following three domains: policies, service delivery, and information and research. The GDO supports countries in measuring progress on dementia actions outlined in the Global Dementia Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia 2017-2025 and assists them in strengthening policies, service planning and health and social care systems for dementia.
National, regional and global data are supplemented by the latest epidemiological estimates and statistics from other sources, such as WHO's Global Health Observatory.
Data of the first 21 countries can already be accessed online and data collection continues with more countries in 2018 and 2019.
Policy guide
The World Health Organization also recently published a policy guide entitled “Towards a dementia plan: a WHO guide”. The guide provides useful information to Member States for creating and operationalizing a dementia plan.
