Global action against dementia:Emerging of a new era

更新时间:2023-08-14

【摘要】Since ancient times medical profession has typically dealt with physical disorders,because they are visible, palpable, and audible. The diagnosis is relatively direct. Mental health problems are hidden in the brain and we did not know what was going on inside the skull. We could only infer, by observing the patient’s behaviors and making assumptions. Even now, we have to largely rely on this indirect approach.That is why psychology and psychiatry are classified as behavioral sciences. They are abstract, and we do not understand the structural changes causing the problem,except for obvious vascular or neoplastic lesions. Now, due to the introduction of new technologies, many mental health problems can be visualized through hi-tech equipment, albeit they are not yet palpable or audible. This direct approach has made the diagnosis much more secure. Now, we know that the problem of dementia starts from the hippocampal formation, and we can see it on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and functional MRI(f MRI). Therefore, a new era of mental health care is emerging. Dementia has become a burden for the patient, family members,caregivers, and the entire society. With ageing population, the number of patients with dementia will increase sharply not only in the developed but also in the developing world. The care of patients with dementia involves not only biology, but also sociology, including politics, and humanities. In 2012, in collaboration with the UK-based Alzheimer’s Disease International, the World Health Organization(WHO)published "Dementia: a public health priority" report. A year later, in 2013, the problem was raised at the G8 summit meeting in London. In 2014, the UK-based Alzheimer’s Society estimated that by 2015, there would be 850,000 sufferers of dementia. Finally, in 2015, the First WHO Ministerial Conference on Global Action Against Dementia took place in Geneva and a document calling for action was published. Every UN member state has a responsibility to take action in response to this solemn call to save the human race.

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