Health officials from seven countries in the Americas have advanced plans for a regional approach to dementia care, with a new online course aimed at helping frontline workers recognise the condition and support families.
Representatives of Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay joined specialists and civil society organisations at a two-day meeting in Mexico City on 9 and 10 November. The Pan American Health Organization organised the gathering to identify priorities for cooperation from 2027 to 2031.
The proposed regional roadmap covers dementia risk reduction, timely diagnosis, treatment and care, as well as support for people living with dementia and those who care for them. It is still being developed: the meeting produced contributions towards a plan rather than a completed set of services.
From country experiences to a regional plan
The discussions brought together countries at different stages of organising their response. Chile and Costa Rica have specific national dementia plans, while Brazil has recently developed a national plan. Other countries have incorporated dementia into wider health or ageing strategies.
Participants examined which approaches could be adapted to different health systems. Their discussions included reducing stigma, improving access to diagnosis, integrating dementia into primary healthcare and strengthening research and information systems.
On the second day, delegations worked by country to identify short-, medium- and long-term priorities. They also made progress on possible indicators, targets and practical actions. Those contributions are intended to form the basis of the regional roadmap and guide technical cooperation over the following five years.
The regional work is separate from a Mexico-specific initiative. Mexico’s health authorities, its National Institute of Geriatrics and the Pan American Health Organization have worked on a national assessment of care capacity and a proposed roadmap towards 2030. The Mexican project places particular emphasis on detection, diagnosis and early care in primary healthcare.
A course for frontline care
The meeting also saw the launch of a virtual course on brain health and dementia in primary care. Developed by the National Institute of Geriatrics with the regional health organisation, the course is free, self-paced and designed to take around 10 hours.
It is open to people working in healthcare, social assistance, community care and related fields. Specialist medical training is not a prerequisite. The course uses short cases and has four modules, covering the public-health importance of dementia, prevention across the life course, initial recognition, and person-centred guidance and referral.
Its content includes distinguishing changes associated with usual ageing from possible warning signs of cognitive impairment. It also addresses respectful language, support for families and timely referral from non-specialist services. Participants who complete and pass the automated assessments can receive a certificate of participation.
Dementia can affect memory, thinking and the ability to carry out everyday activities. It can result from several diseases and, although it is more common in older people, it is not an inevitable part of ageing. People experience it in different ways, and their support needs can change over time.
Gaps in diagnosis and support
More than 10 million people are living with dementia in the Americas. Timely diagnosis and access to care remain challenges across the region. In Brazil, recent estimates indicate that between 76% and 84% of dementia cases are undiagnosed.
Limited numbers of trained health workers, fragmented services and gaps in information systems can make it harder to organise a consistent response. Much of the care also falls on relatives, predominantly women, who may have little formal support.
A round of international dementia data collection illustrates how provision varies. Sixty per cent of countries in the Americas took part. Among those participants, 48% had a national dementia plan and 38% had mechanisms to support carers. Nearly half had not collected dementia data in the previous two years. These figures describe the participating countries, not every country in the region.
The regional roadmap is intended to bring together country priorities and identify practices that could be strengthened or expanded. Its next stage is to consolidate the work done in Mexico City into a framework for cooperation, indicators and targets. It sits alongside a global public-health action plan on dementia that has been extended to 2031.
