Health experts on Tuesday urged to improve healthcare of people living with dementia and called for concerted action to increase their medical coverage worldwide.
According to them, Alzheimer is the most common type of dementia which is a progressive brain dysfunction that affects memory, thinking, behaviour and ability to perform everyday activities.
A public health expert Dr Wasim Khawaja from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) quoting a recent report, said that the number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s and related dementia has reached 46.8 million worldwide, a number that may double every 20 years.
He added that this new report from Alzheimer’s Disease International, reveals that currently, only around half of those in high income countries, and one in ten or less in low and middle income countries have received a diagnosis.
Expanding coverage of services for increasing numbers of people with dementia can only be achieved by boosting capacity and the efficiency with which care is delivered, he added.
He said that the report suggested that primary care services would need to be strengthened and supported through specialists providing guidance and support while affordability of new treatments was critical to ensure equity and social justice for the two-thirds of people with dementia living in low-resourced countries.
He said the report emphasises that care must be holistic, continuous and integrated, with a focus on quality of life for people living with dementia and their carers, and explicit monitoring of processes and outcomes.
Dr Sharif Astori from Federal Government Poly Clinic (FGPC) hospital, said that case management supports coordination and integration of care, and can help ensure that services are both person-centered and efficient for affected people.
He urged to further improve rates of diagnosis and making the global health system more efficient for having quality dementia care.