New Delhi, October 11 (IANS). According to health experts, India needs a national strategy on aging and mental health to tackle the rising cases of Alzheimer’s disease in the country.
Need to create a national dementia strategy to fight Alzheimer’s in India: Experts
New Delhi, October 11 (IANS). According to health experts, India needs a national strategy on aging and mental health to tackle the rising cases of Alzheimer’s disease in the country.
In an editorial published in the Indian Journal of Public Health, experts from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Himachal Pradesh’s M.M. In collaboration with medical colleges and hospitals, stressed the need to implement a comprehensive national dementia plan in line with the global framework of the World Health Organization.
One of the authors, Dr. K. Madan Gopal said in a post on professional networking platform LinkedIn, “India should view Alzheimer’s not just as a clinical problem, but as part of a comprehensive national strategy on aging and mental health. This includes incorporating cognitive health screening into primary care, investing in long-term care models, building caregiver support systems, and focusing on risk factors.” “Doing more research are important steps forward.”
He added, “Our directives are clear: We must act timely, invest wisely and plan humanely. Alzheimer’s care must be part of our broader health systems strengthening and social protection agenda—ensuring dignity, inclusion and support for every older Indian.”
According to an estimate, currently 53 lakh Indians are suffering from dementia, and this figure is estimated to increase almost three times by the year 2050, mainly due to the increasing elderly population.
Experts stressed the need to integrate Alzheimer’s care with Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
“Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Extended Health and Wellness Centres) offer a unique opportunity to integrate dementia screening, counseling and referral at the community level, making care more accessible and acceptable,” the editorial said.
Experts noted the potential of memory clinics and telemedicine platforms like e-Sanjeevani to tackle Alzheimer’s.
Furthermore, they also stressed the need to increase investments for those affected by the disease and draw lessons from the successes of large-scale public health interventions, from HPV vaccination pilots to mission-mode nutrition campaigns and nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drives.
The experts called for a ‘National Dementia Strategy’, “combining public awareness campaigns with active community engagement to reduce confusion and get people help faster; standardized guidelines for screening, diagnosis and care to ensure uniform quality at every level of the health system; and efforts to expand the reach of memory clinics, develop affordable assistive technologies and Public-private partnerships should be facilitated to train caregivers.”
“Such a shared approach can accelerate the creation of a comprehensive and inclusive framework for dementia care in India,” he added.
–IANS
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