In 1994, the World Health Organization and Alzheimer’s Disease International chose September 21st to commemorate the disease’s World Day, under this year’s theme ‘Dementia: a journey of caring'. The purpose of this day is to disseminate information about the disease, and call for support and solidarity from society, institutions and government agencies, as well as the recognition of organisations and associations working to combat the problematics of Alzheimer’s worldwide.

In 1906, Alois Alzheimer first described the neurodegenerative disease that would later bear his name. This dementia, which is manifested by cognitive and behavioural disorders, is characterised by a progressive loss of memory and other mental abilities. It affects mostly people over the age of 65 and has an average duration of 10 years after diagnosis. Today, about 36 million people suffer Alzheiemer’s worldwide, 496,000 of them in the UK. Two thirds of Alzheimer's patients live in developing countries.

Over a hundred years after its first observation, we are still fighting the stigma associated with dementia, and campaigns for better treatment and services for patients, as well as their caregivers, are being organised. Under the slogan ‘Dementia: a journey of caring’, Alzheimer associations across the world will focus their activities on the care required by people with dementia throughout the course of their condition.

Diagrama Foundation sympathizes with Alzheimer's patients and their families, who also suffer the direct consequences of this disease, and together with social and health professionals, devote all their efforts to try to slow the neurodegenerative process and improve the quality of life of people with Alzheimer's.

For more information, please visit Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK and Alzheimer's Disease International.