News

This month, ADI CEO Paola Barbarino and ADI Director of Research and Publications, Wendy Weidner, travelled to the East Coast of the United States to meet with leading researchers, universities, and industry innovators to discuss recent advancements in the research and innovation sphere of dementia care.

In March 2025, multiple member associations in the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan conducted and participated in crucial online webinars to drive forward knowledge and expertise, helping to improve the lives of those living with dementia in the region.

In March ADI Membership Manager, Gloria Mantineo, travelled to South Africa to visit the country member association ADASA, meeting with CEO, Marlene Freislich and regional leadership teams in South Africa’s three most populous provinces Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape; to learn more about their services and gain greater insight into the work being undertaken within the country as well as the African region more broadly.

ADI Asia Pacific Regional Director , DY Suharya, attended and supported two crucial cross-sectional meetings in both Malaysia and Maldives. These timely meetings brought researchers, policymakers and medical practitioners together to pave the way for the development of a new National Dementia Plan in Maldives and an important strategic deployment meeting around the newly launched plan in Malaysia.

ADI attended the World Health Organization’s 156th Executive Board, advocating for an extension to the expiring Global Action Plan on the public health response to dementia, as well as pushing for better inclusion of dementia in from Non-communicable disease policies, and the need for greater provisions for those living with dementia and carers in humanitarian situations. 

February saw a flurry of dementia-related activity within the European region. Sweden has updated their national dementia strategy from 2018; ADI’s Head of Membership attended a session at the Belgian Senate; as part of their efforts to raise the profile of those living with dementia; ADI CEO Paola Barbarino virtually opened the 14th Panhellenic Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, organized by ADI’s member in Greece, Panhellenic Federation of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, and ADI is partaking in the public hearings for the development of the WHO Second European Program of Work.

In February, ADI representatives took part in two important events in the Americas showcasing the great progress currently being made in the region.ADI Board Member Rosa Farrés attended a workshop in Peru on Advancing Brain Health, hosted by the Global Brain Health Institute at the beginning of the month. Then, ADI Regional Director for the Americas, Diego Aguilar, visited Chile to attend the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) Neuroscience Next conference, building on Chile’s recent efforts on the updating of their National Dementia Plan strategy.

Chile recently embarked on a comprehensive evaluation and update of its National Dementia Plan (originally launched in 2017) - a plan that serves as a model for the Latin American region. This collaborative process, led by the Chilean Ministry of Health, also involved civil society organisations, and demonstrates a practical roadmap for updating national dementia strategies.