World Alzheimer’s Month tackles stigma surrounding dementia
Advocates plan September activities to raise awareness, understanding
September is World Alzheimer’s Month, and the global Alzheimer’s disease community is looking to raise awareness and combat stigma related to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
“This September, we are … advocating for greater awareness and understanding around dementia in a direct campaign that encourages people to ask about dementia,” Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) wrote on its website marking the month.
The global advocacy group is encouraging people to post on social media using the hashtags #AskAboutDementia and #AskAboutAlzheimers. By answering questions, “we are seeking to change peoples’ perceptions and normalise asking questions and learning more about the condition and how it impacts over 55 million people living with dementia globally and their carers,” ADI said.
ADI has created free informational toolkits with social media cards, posters, and infographics to help spread the word. The toolkits are available online in English, Spanish, and French.
World Alzheimer’s Month culminates in World Alzheimer’s Day, Sept. 21. ADI will publish its annual World Alzheimer Report that day. In line with this year’s campaign theme, the 2025 report will spotlight dementia rehabilitation.
U.S., Canada, UK groups plan fundraising and awareness campaigns
In the U.S., the Alzheimer’s Association is marking the occasion with a fundraising effort, aiming to support research efforts and provide care to patients and their families.
“Day by day, we’re making real progress for families facing the disease. We can’t stop now,” the association states on its World Alzheimer’s Day website.
In Canada, the Alzheimer Society is raising funds throughout the month. It’s featuring a campaign to help people understand the 10 warning signs of dementia, which include misplacing objects, trouble carrying out familiar tasks, memory issues causing day-to-day problems, behavior changes, and difficulty with communication.
“By understanding what people living with dementia experience in their day-to-day-lives – their struggles, their successes and their hopes – together we can raise awareness of dementia throughout Canada and the rest of the World,” the society said on its World Alzheimer’s Month website. “Awareness is the first step to fighting stigma, reinforcing human rights, and pushing for policy change, as well as other actions that can lift up Canadians living with dementia.”
The U.K.-based Alzheimer’s Society is marking World Alzheimer’s Month by encouraging community members to join a campaign asking officials in the U.K. to prioritize diagnosis and care for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. People in the U.K. can join the campaign by signing online petitions and contacting their elected leaders.
“By becoming a campaigner, you’ll help us demand ambitious action from decision-makers and ensure dementia is recognised as the urgent healthcare priority it is,” the society states on its website.
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