The number of people affected with Alzheimer's disease (AD) worldwide has climbed drastically over the past few decades.

Major advances in healthcare have contributed to a rapid growth of our ageing population, which is at a higher risk of developing Advertizement. The incidence of Ad starts to increment by age 65, and past the age of 85 well-nigh one-half the population will have the affliction.

The Center-Eastward Due north African (MENA) countries are considered among the fastest growing regions in the earth in terms of the incidence of AD. Past 2050, the World Health Organisation estimates the number of Advertizement cases in MENA countries volition have increased by 125%. Such a profound increase will certainly put a strain on these countries' healthcare systems and will impose socioeconomic burdens on families and governments in the region.

Barriers and burdens

Heart-Eastern culture values close relationships between the elderly and younger generations in the family. The elderly are normally regarded with the highest degree of love, respect and wisdom, and are looked upon as a source of inspiration in the family unit. There is a sense of duty and responsibleness amid younger generations to care for the elderly, including those who develop AD, at their homes, and to not even consider moving them to nursing homes fifty-fifty if one exists adjacent door.

The predicted growth of Alzheimer's disease worldwide by 2050

The predicted growth of Alzheimer's affliction worldwide by 2050

Image: Alzheimer'south Disease International

This duty often results in fourth dimension constraints at piece of work and financial burdens on the family unit, and there is frequently a lack of advisable knowledge on the part of family unit members on how to deal with Advertizement patients. Moreover, and in many instances, a diagnosis of AD or other dementia disorders carries a degree of stigma and tin erect a social barrier. Unfortunately many Advertizement patients go isolated from society, deprived from interactions with extended family members or friends, and prevented from attention social activities. The accompanying sense of isolation may compound the physical and mental burden on patients, and can place additional strains on families and caregivers.

Many governments in the MENA countries assume that caring for the elderly, including AD patients, is the sole responsibility of the family unit, and therefore they take tended to ignore building the infrastructure that can provide more than comprehensive support for Advertizing patients and their families. However, the precipitous increase in Advert cases, and the heavier socioeconomic burdens on families caring for Advertising patients, have led to a few changes in laws around improving long-term care services for the elderly, including AD patients. Nonetheless, more than changes are required, including the integration of these services in future government budgets to ensure resource allotment of the appropriate funds to support and improve the services for Advertisement patients and the elderly at large.

Breaking the barriers

We propose a program of v 'B's to meliorate combat AD in MENA countries and to break the barriers surrounding this affliction:

ane. Better training of healthcare providers in primary care services to recognise the early signs of AD and other co-morbid conditions such equally low and agitation, and to intervene early earlier the disease progresses to the point of no return.

ii. Build infrastructure and support systems including nursing homes and long-term care facilities for memory-dumb patients. These facilities would be valuable in providing improved physical and mental health services for Advert patients, and supporting family members and caregivers at a time when twenty-four hour period-to-solar day care for AD patients becomes either more difficult or even unfeasible.

three. Meliorate educational programs to inform the public most Advertizing; to recognise first that this is a brain affliction and not simply erratic behaviour, to know its symptoms and progression, and more chiefly, to understand how to react and what to expect when a family fellow member is inflicted with the disease.

4. Better support from regime officials and policymakers for social and disease-preventative programmes promoting good for you lifestyles. This should include promoting healthier diets with less sugar and candy foods and more concrete activity, too as combating obesity, diabetes, alcohol and drug abuse, which constitute major risk factors for developing Ad later in life. Providing incentives or subsidies for family members or caregivers of Advert patients should lower the financial burden on families and support their prolonged intendance for their patients. Social activities that promote mental exercise, such as reading, writing, playing musical instruments or calculator games, should greatly benefit the elderly and prolong their cognitive functions.

v. Better participation of AD patients in research programmes focused on deeper understanding of genetics, biomarkers, pathophysiology and the risk factors of AD in MENA countries, and better enrolment of AD patients in clinical trials evaluating new drugs for Advertizing. Such programmes and trials may yield novel pharmacotherapies with added clinical benefits for AD patients in MENA countries.

To combat Advertizement in MENA countries, all stakeholders should work together to remove the social stigma associated with Advertizement, offer unconditional support to Advertisement patients, increase public awareness of the affliction, implement healthy lifestyles, and invest public and private funds in clinical enquiry and long-term health services for Advertisement patients. These proposals, if implemented, should help patients inflicted with this serious disease to live out their golden years in a dignified and respectable way - which should be a common goal for both the citizens and governments of MENA countries.