There has been no specific campaign for dementia risk reduction in Brazil. However, there are strong efforts by primary and secondary care services, as well as federal state and municipal programs to prevent and reduce the burden of established risk factors for other chronic conditions, which are risk factors for dementia too. These include smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Campaigns are communicated through television programmes, paper adverts, and education groups in the community (school, parks, etc.). Prevention program such as HIPERDIA (for diabetes and hypertension) are conducted in the PCU (Primary Care Units).

The Visiting Health Teams of the Department of Health (DH) organise regular health promotion activities such as health talks and support groups in 18 Elderly Health Centres across the 18 districts in Hong Kong. Reducing the risk of dementia is one of their major goals. Their monthly topics in relation to dementia include healthy lifestyle, exercise and eating, no smoking education, weight management, accident prevention and home safety, mental health check, and other common age-related disease management, such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and Parkinson’s disease (Elderly Health Service, 2020, March 26).

Moreover, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) has launched a 3-years “Dementia Friendly Community Campaign” in 2018, which provides public education programmes to increase public awareness, reduce risks, and enhance care of persons with dementia and their family members (more details can be found in Part 5). This campaign emphasises the following advices on reducing risk of dementia (Social Welfare Department, 2018, December):

• Prevention of cerebrovascular diseases;
• Maintain healthy lifestyle;
• Maintain active social life and develop personal hobbies;
• Regular body check and cognitive assessment;
• Keep a positive mind;
• Reduce the chance of brain injury;
• Develop daily participation in aerobic and mind-body exercises;
• Develop Six Arts multi-cognitive domains (i.e., interpersonal and social, musical, visual-spatial, kinesthetic, linguistic, and logic-mathematical elements).

References:

Elderly Health Service, Department of Health. (2020, March 26). Visiting Health Team: Health Promotion Activities (Regular Topics). Retrieved from https://www.elderly.gov.hk/english/service_providers/promotion.html

Social Welfare Department. (2018, December). Dementia Awareness Kit. Hong Kong Retrieved from https://www.swd.gov.hk/dementiacampaign/en/doc/Dementia_Awareness_kit_en.pdf.

Currently, there is no programme that specifically targets dementia in India at a national level. However, the Government of India has launched the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare [MoHFW], 2017), which aims at targeting risk factors for non-communicable diseases that are also risk factors for dementia.

References:

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (2017). National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases, and Stroke (NPCDCS).

In 2014, Alzheimer’s Indonesia (ALZI) in collaboration with On Track Media Indonesia and Juara Agency started the #JanganMaklumDenganPikun campaign to raise awareness and reduce risk of dementia. “Jangan maklum dengan pikun” means “Do not underestimate memory loss”. This campaign was supported by Grand Challenges Canada and resulted in various communication materials, including the 10 Tanda Demensia Alzheimer (10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s) video and leaflet (Virgianti, 2014). The leaflet lists the 10 common signs of Alzheimer’s disease, while the video has an additional explanation on how to reduce risks of dementia, for example, through routine physical activities of at least 150 minutes per week, consuming a healthy and balanced diet as well as mental stimulation, positive thinking, and engaging in productive, creative activities (OnTrackMedia, 2014).

In 2015, the Minister of Health issued a regulation on the management of non-communicable diseases. Based on this, the Ministry of Health launched the campaign ‘CERDIK’ to reduce risk of non-communicable diseases. CERDIK is an acronym of Cek kesehatan rutin (routine health check-up), Enyahkan asap rokok (eliminate smoking), Rajin aktivitas fisik (routine physical activity), Diet sehat dan gizi seimbang (healthy diet and balanced nutrition), Istirahat cukup (Enough rest/sleep), and Kelola stres (Managing stress) (Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia, 2015a). Aligning with this campaign, the most current version of ALZI’s 10 Tanda Demensia leaflet includes CERDIK as the advice regarding risk reduction for dementia (Alzheimer’s Indonesia, 2019a).

In 2016, the national dementia strategy was launched. The national strategy has seven action steps, in which the first is ‘Campaign of public awareness and promotion of healthy lifestyle’ (Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia, 2015a, p.25). This step has four activities, which are:

• [To] ‘Strengthen the existing programs and creating new programs to promote healthy and productive older persons, [to address] risk factors, and protective factors, including healthy lifestyle
• [To] Intensify healthy and productive older persons campaign
• [To] Strengthen education program on older people in schools, community, occupational health programmes
• [To] Promote cognitive health using [a] coordinated training model at the national level’.

References:

Alzheimer’s Indonesia. (2019a). 10 Gejala Awal Demensia Alzheimer. https://alzi.or.id/10-gejala-awal-demensia-alzheimer/

Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia. (2015a). Ministry of Health Regulation No. 67/2015 on Geriatric Services in Public Health Center (Permenkes No. 67/2015 Tentang Penyelenggaraan Pelayanan Kesehatan Lanjut Usia Di Pusat Kesehatan Masyarakat). Kementrian Kesehatan Indonesia, 1–140.

OnTrackMedia. (2014). 10 Tanda Demensia Alzheimer. https://youtu.be/DymN8tviXEQ

Virgianti K. (2014). Alzi sebarkan info Alzheimer gandeng pemerintah. Satu Harapan. Available at: https://www.satuharapan.com/read-detail/read/alzi-sebarkan-info-alzheimer-gandeng-pemerintah

Please refer to Part 5, question 05.01.

There is no campaign in Kenya to specifically reduce the risk of dementia. However, the campaigns conducted by ADOK to create awareness on dementia care partly cover risk reduction.

There are currently no campaigns, however, Mexico is part of the FINGER study which aims at piloting an intervention to reduce risks of dementia and the results may be available in the near future.

In South African media there are examples of journalistic articles written to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia, as well as reducing the risk of dementia (see

– https://theconversation.com/why-special-steps-need-to-be-taken-to-reduce-the-risk-of-dementia-in-africa-47533;

– https://www.health24.com/Medical/Dementia/News/9-ways-to-reduce-the-risk-for-dementia-20170725;

– https://www.health24.com/Medical/Dementia/Overview/Managing-dementia-20120721;

– https://www.health24.com/Medical/Dementia/Overview/causes-of-dementia-20160303-2) (Health24, 2016; 2017; 2018a; Hugo, 2016; De Jager, 2019). These media coverages are often supported by the NGOs and academic sectors, with no formal campaign for reducing risks coming from the government sector.

References:

Health24. (2016). Causes of Dementia. Health24. Available from: https://www.news24.com/health24/Medical/Dementia/Overview/causes-of-dementia-20160303-2

Health24. (2017). 9 ways to reduce the risk for dementia. News24. Available from: https://www.health24.com/Medical/Dementia/News/9-ways-to-reduce-the-risk-for-dementia-20170725

Health24. (2018a). Alzheimer’s: ‘ They thought my mother was a witch and wanted to burn her. Available from: https://www.health24.com/Medical/Dementia/Alzheimers/alzheimers-they-thought-my-mother-was-a-witch-and-wanted-to-burn-her-20180413

Hugo, F. (2016). Managing dementia. Health24. Available from: https://www.health24.com/Medical/Dementia/Overview/Managing-dementia-20120721

De Jager, C. (2019). Why special steps need to be taken to reduce the risk of dementia in Africa. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/why-special-steps-need-to-be-taken-to-reduce-the-risk-of-dementia-in-africa-47533