Health
Expert Urges African Govts To Prioritise Dementia Care
By Folasade Akpan
Dr Oma Iyoko, Chairperson, Dementia Africa, has urged African governments to make dementia a public health priority, saying the condition remains largely neglected.
Iyoko made the call on Wednesday at the inaugural Dementia Africa Conference 2026 in Abuja, themed “The State of Dementia in Africa: Shaping the Future of Dementia Care in Africa.”
She said dementia had not received the attention given to other major health conditions and should no longer remain at the periphery of Africa’s health systems.
“I want to see that dementia becomes a high priority in the health systems agenda in Nigeria and in Africa,” she said.
According to her, Africa must move beyond fragmented responses by developing coordinated systems for dementia care, research, awareness, education and policy.
Iyoko identified stigma and misconceptions as major challenges, saying some people living with dementia were still accused of witchcraft, abused or banished from their communities.
“If the person who has high blood pressure is not banished to a forest, why should somebody with dementia be banished to a forest?” she asked.
She also expressed concern over the scarcity of reliable country-specific dementia data, saying much of the available information remained based on estimates.
Iyoko said Dementia Africa planned to establish an African Data Bank to collate research across the continent and strengthen Africa’s contribution to global dementia discussions.
She also highlighted the burden on informal caregivers, especially family members who often care for relatives with dementia without adequate training or support.
Iyoko said Dementia Africa’s “One Africa, One Dementia Network” would enable countries to share knowledge, expertise and resources rather than work in isolation.
Earlier, Amb. Stephen Ben-Joel, Global President, Pan-African AU Agenda 2063 Diplomatic Mission, called for increased investment to address challenges facing older persons.
Ben-Joel said the mission would seek to attract foreign direct investment and other funding for initiatives to improve the wellbeing and social engagement of senior citizens.
He said many older persons, including those without dementia, experienced isolation and lacked opportunities for meaningful activities.
He advocated purpose-built homes and organised activities to improve their quality of life.
“Our seniors have to be taken care of. They need to be well,” he said.
Ben-Joel also pledged support for dementia research, saying Africa needed to generate primary data to better understand and respond to the condition.
The Grand Patron of Dementia Africa, Prof. Nelson Ochekpe, called for affordable, validated screening tools and local diagnostic and imaging capacity to improve dementia detection.
Ochekpe said African countries should develop care models suited to their cultural and economic realities rather than simply adopting systems from developed countries.
He called for dementia care to be integrated into primary healthcare, with greater involvement of community health workers in supporting affected persons and their families.
He also advocated stronger legal and human-rights frameworks to protect people living with dementia from neglect, abuse and exploitation.
Ochekpe encouraged the use of digital health and telemedicine to expand access to specialist care.
Mrs Medinat Akinyemi-Obe, Director-General, National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), said dementia was both a health and social challenge requiring stronger collaboration, research and policy attention.
She said the NSCC remained committed to working with Dementia Africa and other stakeholders to promote early detection, improved care, caregiver support and protection of older persons’ rights.
Akinyemi-Obe said the Federal Government was strengthening existing facilities for older persons, adding that properly equipped and maintained facilities would be prioritised before establishing new ones.
Dr Obi Adigwe, National Coordinator, National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office, emphasised investment in research, innovation and training to develop sustainable solutions to dementia in Africa.
He said Africa could not effectively address its dementia challenges while relying primarily on knowledge generated outside the continent.
The conference is aimed at strengthening awareness, research, policy, education and care systems for dementia across Africa. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Tosin Kolade
