LAHORE: Most people with dementia have yet to get a diagnosis, let alone comprehensive and continuing healthcare, said Alzheimer’s Pakistan office-bearers at a news conference here on Tuesday.

“In Pakistan, it is estimated that there are around one million dementia patients, a vast majority of them undiagnosed,” an expert said quoting from a report of Alzheimer’s Disease International, released in connection with ‘World Alzheimer’s Day on Wednesday (today).

Authored by researchers at King’s College, London, and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), ‘The World Alzheimer Report 2016: Improving healthcare for people living with dementia,’ calls for concerted action to increase the coverage of healthcare for people with dementia worldwide.

Dementia affects 47 million people worldwide and this number will triple by 2050. Currently, only around half of those in high income countries, and one in 10 or less in low and middle income ones have received a diagnosis.

Expanding coverage of services for increasing number of people with dementia can only be achieved – and a crisis averted – by boosting capacity, and the efficiency with which care is delivered.

The report highlights that dementia care being provided mainly by specialist doctors is a major barrier to progress in the disease treatment. Greater involvement of non-specialist primary care staff can unlock capacity to meet increasing demand for dementia care and reduce the cost of care per person by up to 40 per cent, it says.

Primary care services will need to be strengthened and supported to take on this role, through specialists providing guidance and support.

Alzheimer’s Pakistan Patron Dr Yasmin Rashid said the goal of both improving rates of diagnosis and making the health system more efficient was critically important according to the report, that recommends that the outcomes of dementia care should be monitored so that the patients and their care partners could be better informed about the quality of care available.

Alzheimer’s Pakistan president Zia Rizvi said the report highlighted the need to redesign dementia care services to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.

Secretary general Dr Hussain Jafri said September was celebrated as World Alzheimer’s Month (WAM) throughout the world.

A number of events will be organised this month in Pakistan to create awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.

One of the key events would be a grand quiz titled `Healthy lifestyle reduces risk of dementia’, he said. Students of 13 medical colleges from all over the country would be participating in the quiz, the finale of which would be held on Sept 29 in Lahore, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2016