Member events and activities

Memory Walks 

Memory Walks to raise awareness around Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are a key activity of World Alzheimer’s Month and are often one of the most popular community activities that associations choose to organise.

With walks ranging from in-person to online, to half-day events to month-long excursions and done with groups of people or individually, many of our members hosted Memory Walks throughout September.

At least 24 associations hosted Memory Walks, with some associations adding their own twist to the event. For Alzheimer Scotland, participants were encouraged to bring their dogs; in the Netherlands, Alzheimer Nederland held a cycling event under ‘the Memory Ride’, which saw over 500 participants who biked between 40 and 160 kilometres.

Some associations, such as Asociación Grupo Ermita Alzheimer de Guatemala, Dementia Singapore and Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation, chose to host their memory walks in a virtual format; however, Macau Alzheimer’s Disease Association (MADA) had to cancel theirs due to COVID-19.
 

Awareness raising in times of conflict and natural disasters

During the month of September, many of our associations organised and campaigned against the backdrop of ongoing and sudden external situations and crises.  

Both in Puerto Rico and Pakistan, Asociación de Alzheimer y Desórdenes Relacionados de Puerto Rico and Alzheimer’s Pakistan faced extreme weather events. In Pakistan, flooding affected much of the country and its infrastructure; in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Fiona affected electricity, as well as water and gasoline access. Despite this, Alzheimer’s Pakistan organised an awareness seminar and a Memory Walk and Asociación de Alzheimer y Desórdenes Relacionados de Puerto Rico gathered on 21 September with the Mayor of Culebra to raise awareness. 

In Sri Lanka, where civil unrest has taken place for several weeks and is currently under emergency law, Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation still managed to arrange a scaled-down Memory Walk and other activities for World Alzheimer’s Day. Similarly, the Nezabutni Foundation (association starting the Membership Development Programme this month) in Ukraine was featured in several television shows and continued to organise a month-long social media campaign, despite the ongoing war.

Virtual Events

Since COVID-19, virtual events, webinars and seminars have become fundamental to much of our members’ work and outreach, both during and beyond the month of September. 

In Cameroon, Association Comprendre la Maladie d’Alzheimer (A.C.M.A) hosted a Facebook live event on World Alzheimer’s Day, where they invited a carer to share their journey of caregiving. In Peru, the Asociación Peruana de Enfermedad de Alzheimer y Otras Demencias also hosted an online symposium, titled ‘Alzheimer, un reto a enfrentar’, on World Alzheimer’s Day. During the symposium, panellists discussed Alzheimer’s disease and mental health in the country, as well as approaches to care from different perspectives.

In the Americas, Asociación Hondureña de Alzheimer hosted their first virtual Symposium, where ADI CEO Paola Barbarino spoke during the opening ceremony. Federación Mexicana de Alzheimer, A. C. (FEDMA) also hosted a virtual congress from 7-30 September, which included open discussions and presentations around prevention, inclusion and care. 

Lighting of buildings, landmarks and monuments

The lighting of landmarks, monuments and bridges are often a way that governments and cities recognise World Alzheimer’s Month, as well as the people who are directly affected by dementia.

These public lightings are often brought about through the hard work of our associations, many of whom work months in advance to ensure it happens. 

The 2022 campaign was no exception and over 18 countries brightened landmarks and buildings in the nationally recognised colour for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in the country. 

This included the Faculty of Medicine and the Zafarana Palace Ain Shams University in Egypt from the Egyptian Alzheimer Society; Petra, the Jordan Citadel, the Ministry of Health, the Abdoun Bridge and several hotels in Jordan from Al Oun For Alzheimer’s Patient Care Association; the National Stadium, the National Gallery, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer in Singapore from Dementia Singapore; and the public prosecutor general’s office in Panama from Asociación de Apoyo a los Familiares de Pacientes con Alzheimer y Otras Enfermedades Demenciales.  

Traditional media coverage and blogs

ADI members were widely successful in securing ongoing and extensive media coverage throughout September, with many associations using the coverage to highlight issues around post-diagnosis care and support, as well as other ongoing issues around dementia within the communities.  

In Cyprus, Cyprus Alzheimer Association and Related Dementias Forget-Me-Not hosted a press conference at the Ministry of Health, during which Alexia Karaiskaki shared national-level dementia statistics and prevalence data shared by ADI. In the Dominican Republic, Dr Daisy Acosta of Asociación Dominicana Alzheimer y Similares appeared on ‘Una Nueva Mañana’, a digital news portal, to raise awareness about World Alzheimer’s Day. In the United Arab Emirates, 4get-me-not Alzheimer’s Organization gave a live radio interview with Helen Farmer on 103.8 Dubai Eye.