Previous World Alzheimer’s Month campaigns

Learn more about previous World Alzheimer's Month campaigns, first having launched in 2011.

World Alzheimer’s Month and World Alzheimer’s Day are coordinated by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI).

ADI and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September 1994. World Alzheimer’s Month followed sixteen years later, with the first awareness campaign piloted in 2010 amongst 12 countries. The first theme for World Alzheimer’s Month, ‘Dementia: It’s time for action!’, focused on applying pressure to governments to evaluate current policies around dementia, as well as consider ways to improve services for people with dementia and their families.

Previous campaigns

2022

The theme again for World Alzheimer’s Month  ‘Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer’s. The theme focused on the importance of a post-diagnosis support for people living with dementia, as well as the 12 risk factors and the continued need to break down the stigma that still surrounds Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

2021

The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month was ‘Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer’s. The theme  focused on the importance of a timely diagnosis, as well as the 10 warning signs of dementia and the continued need to break down the stigma that still surrounds Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

2020

The theme again for World Alzheimer’s Month 2020 was ‘Let’s Talk About Dementia’. It continued to highlight attention towards the importance of talking about dementia, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019

The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month 2019 was ‘Let’s Talk About Dementia’. By highlighting the importance that dialogue plays when it comes to discussing dementia, ADI wanted to emphasise that conversations have the power to break down stigma, encourage the first step towards accessing support and services, as well as receiving a timely diagnosis.

2018

The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month 2018 was ‘Every 3 Seconds’. By focusing on the statistic that someone in the world develops dementia every three seconds, ADI wanted to highlight the huge global impact of dementia and emphasise the importance of recognising dementia as a disease and challenging the stigma that surrounds it.

Member activities and events during World Alzheimer's Month 2022

Throughout the 2022 campaign, ADI members hosted memory walks, film screenings and lit up buildings and monuments across the world in recognition of 'Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer's.'

Read more about their activities

2017

The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month in 2017 was again ‘Remember Me’, encouraging individuals from all around the world to learn to recognise the warning signs of dementia and to advocate for earlier diagnosis for those affected. The 2017 campaign followed on from the historic adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global action plan on dementia.

2016

The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month in 2016 was ‘Remember Me’. It aimed to promote awareness and challenge the stigma of dementia by remembering those that have dementia, and advocated for national plans to tackle the disease. On World Alzheimer’s Day, his Holiness Pope Francis made a special appeal to those gathered in St. Peter’s Square to remember those living with dementia and their families.

2015

The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month in 2015 was ‘Remember Me’. It encouraged people from all around the world to learn to spot the signs of dementia, but also not to forget about loved ones who are living with dementia, or who may have passed away.

2014

The theme of World Alzheimer’s Month in 2014 was ‘Dementia: Can we reduce the risk?’. The campaign focused on ways we may be able to help reduce our chances of developing dementia, with Alzheimer associations around the world focusing campaigns on advocacy and public awareness.

2013

The theme of World Alzheimer’s Month in 2013 was ‘Dementia: A journey of caring’. It aimed to highlight the commitment of carers through the course of dementia, as well as the changing needs for people living with dementia as it progresses. Many member associations reported marked increases in new volunteers coming forward to offer their time.

2012

The theme of World Alzheimer’s Month in 2012 was ‘Dementia: Living together’. The campaign focused on reducing the stigma associated with dementia. It was the first ever global campaign for World Alzheimer’s Month, with many member associations securing strong media coverage around the month.

2011

The theme of World Alzheimer’s Month in 2011 was ‘Faces of dementia’, which promoted recognition of the signs of the disease, as well as those who commit their time and efforts to improving the lives of people with dementia and their carers on a local, regional, national and international level.