Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI)
News, blogs and stories from across the field of dementia, the work of Alzheimer’s Disease International and our members.
The 78th World Health Assembly has been a whirlwind week for ADI as, after 18-months of advocacy, the World Health Assembly has agreed to extend the Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia by 6-years, to 2031.
Lecanemab is the first therapy of its kind approved in the EU that could potentially slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The use of lecanemab will now be considered by national payers, who will assess the treatment against further nationally determined criteria.
In June, ADI’s Regional Director for the Americas, Diego Aguilar, attended a national meeting of Alzheimer’s associations in San Juan, Argentina. The meeting sought to unite lawmakers, civil society, healthcare professionals and more from across Argentina in an effort to call for legislation surrounding Alzheimer’s under the banner of #LeyAlzheimerYa (#AlzheimersLawNow).
Perceptions of dementia are dependent on many factors, such as direct personal experience with a loved one having the condition or exposure to public information campaigns, for example. Popular culture also plays a role in shaping the public discourse around dementia in ways that can have significant consequences on the…
In May, ADI’s Regional Director for the Asia Pacific Region, DY Suharya travelled to Sydney, Australia to participate in the launch of the e-DiVA programme alongside representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Viet Nam. Then, ADI Board Member and Executive Vice President of ADI member Alzheimer’s Disease Chinese, Professor Huali Wang, was one of the six public health champions celebrated at the 78th World Health Assembly later in the month.
On 29 April 2025, ADI Regional Director for the Americas, Diego Aguilar attended the Symposium on Brain Health Promotion: Towards a National Dementia Plan in Buenos Aires, Argentina, during which key political figures, international experts, civil society leaders, and advocates joined the call for the urgent approval of Argentina’s first National Dementia Plan.
In March 2025, ADI was involved in a range of engagements across the Latin American region, from high level symposiums in Curaçao and Mexico, to providing strategic input on draft bills in Argentina and the international bloc of Latin American countries MERCOSUR.
This month, ADI staff and representatives took part in important activity in the European region. ADI Regional Director for the Americas, Diego Aguilar, travelled to Madrid to attend the Triangular Cooperation Seminar, organised by the European Union's ADELANTE 2 Programme. ADI Head of Membership, Laura Aubert, visited ADI’s member in Czechia and attended the 19th World Congress on Controversies in Neurology in Prague. Then, ADI staff attended the World Dementia Council meeting in London for the 2025 Summit. We round off this blog by celebrating the co-founder of ADI’s member in Russia, Alzrus, Alexandra Shchetkina, for her nomination for the most prestigious Russian educational award - the Knowledge Prize.
In late March, ADI CEO Paola Barbarino travelled to St. Paul’s Bay, Malta to give a keynote address to the Empowering Minds: Innovation and Compassion in Dementia Care symposium hosted by the Dementia Care Directorate, Active Ageing and Community Care. This symposium focused on the symbiosis between advocacy and advancement within dementia care and research.
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.