This month saw a plethora of activity across the European region. From the 15th Ibero-American Alzheimer’s Congress in Ibiza, which gathered ADI’s Hispanophone members from around the world, to Iceland’s 13th International Congress of Person-Centred Medicine in Reykjavík, held under the theme “Treatment and Care for Dementia through Person-Centred Medicine”, and to the north of the United Kingdom, which hosted the annual Silver Economy Forum, ADI engaged with its members throughout the region to promote greater awareness and activity, to address the growing burden of dementia.
Ibiza, Spain
From 5 to 8 November, AD’s member for Spain, the Confederación Española de Alzheimer (CEAFA) in collaboration with the Association of Relatives of Alzheimer’s Patients of Ibiza and Formentera, hosted the 11th National Alzheimer’s Congress and the 15th Ibero-American Alzheimer’s Congress.
Under the theme ‘Breaking Barriers’, the conference aims to be a hub of knowledge and exchanges between medical professionals, researchers, advocates and families. The conference also sought to unite Hispanophone speakers from across the world, acting as a platform for shared learning, collaboration and the exchange of best practice across the global Spanish-speaking community.
During her intervention, ADI CEO, Paola Barbarino spoke on ADI’s recent crucial and timely work in 2025; from securing the extension to the Global Action Plan on Dementia, publishing an article that highlights striking mortality data – indicating that dementia will become the 3rd leading cause of death globally by 2040, and successfully advocating for the inclusion of dementia within the political declaration of the 4th High Level Meeting on the prevention and control of NCDs and mental health.
During the panel discussion, Paola also highlighted ADI’s membership as a further alignment with the conference’s theme:
It is our members that make national, and country-based advocacy possible which in turn strengthens ADI’s influence and sense of community and greatly increases the amount of progress which we are able to achieve together
Reykjavik, Iceland
Simultaneously, On 6 November, ADI Deputy CEO Chris Lynch participated in the 13th International Congress of Person Centered Medicine, held in Reykjavik, Iceland. The conference brought together stakeholders across the Nordics and wider Europe under the theme “Treatment and Care for Dementia through Person Centered Medicine.”
Chris joined an expert panel discussing “Dementia as a Non-Communicable Disorder,” a timely conversation following ADI’s successful advocacy for the inclusion of dementia within the political declaration of the 4th High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health, a major step towards recognising dementia as a public health priority.
The panel also welcomed CEO of the Danish Alzheimer Association, Mette Raun Fjordside.
In his remarks, Chris highlighted the urgent need for a narrative shift to position dementia within the broader NCD framework, aligning national dementia responses with those for other NCDs such as heart disease and diabetes.
We are at a pivotal moment with Azheimer’s disease and dementia, with new disease modifying treatments, a revolution in diagnostics and research showing that up to 45% of cases could be delayed or even prevented. Learning from and taking inspiration from conditions like cancer and HIV can only help us navigate this incredibly complex area, starting with the major barriers of low awareness, stigma and ageism
Manchester, United Kingdom
Later in the month, Chris participated in the Silver Economy Forum, an annual event which seeks to explore and find solutions to the issues facing older persons and the aging population around the world.
During the forum, Chris took part in panel debate, titled “Alzheimer’s at a turning point” which sought to explore how conditions like cancer and HIV have overcome major barriers, including stigma, and explored how innovations in Alzheimer’s research that have helped tackled issues around the introduction of new treatments, their regulation and how to improve education and health system readiness, to ensure that people are able to make educated choices and access treatments and supports.
Building on ADI’s continued engagement with conference host, the Global Coalition on Ageing, the session also shone a light on the ‘Alzheimer’s Policy & Impact, a resource built from the collective experience of Alzheimer’s disease experts, advocates, policymakers, healthcare professionals and leaders from other disease areas to provide strategies to accelerate progress in Alzheimer’s disease advocacy and policy.
