The Nairobi Declaration—Reducing the burden of dementia in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs): Declaration of the 2022 Symposium on Dementia and Brain Aging in LMICs

Abstract

Delegates of the 2022 Symposium on Dementia and Brain Aging in Low-and Middle-Income Countries, representing over 40 countries, met in Nairobi, Kenya, December 5-9 to highlight advances in dementia prevention, diagnosis, care, and research, as well as explore the future needs of the global community.Dementia poses a major threat to optimal brain health and remains a priority for the demographically ever-changing worldwide population.It incurs substantial individual, societal, and global costs. By 2030, the majority of the 78 million people with dementia will be living in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Upon consideration of these grave statistics and new diagnostic paradigms with available prevention and treatment strategies, we, the undersigned delegates of the symposium, including the Organizing Committee and speakers, and the African Dementia Consortium (AfDC), with frontline and lived experience, call upon the global community, including governments, policymakers, international economic forums, health and social care providers, together with private and public research funding agencies, researchfocused organizations such as universities, nongovernmental organizations, and technology and pharmaceutical companies, to act as follows:

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“…As the initiative continues to impact the participant's ecosystem significantly, it becomes imperative to consider its scalability and sustainability. The global burden of dementia is projected to rise dramatically, especially in the Global South, 50 necessitating the broader reach of such transformative, multidimensional approaches. The initiative must evolve to meet the growing need for comprehensive, inclusive, and empathetic dementia care and research, reaching wider audiences and adapting to various sociocultural contexts.…”

“…This experience may expand the physician's concept of a patient's capabilities.4.1.2Open discussions for deeper understanding For many professionals, especially from low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), this may be the first opportunity to discuss demen-tia diagnosis with someone living with dementia openly. Numerous countries in the southern hemisphere face significant levels of underdiagnosis50 due to socioeconomic inequality, cultural stigma, and poor attention to dementia by physicians, resulting in delayed diagnosis and hindering open conversations about the topic. This experiential approach facilitated a profound comprehension of the multifaceted nature of dementia, stimulating a change in mindset driven by lived experiences toward more integrated, empathetic care.…”

Neurology Training and Medical Education in Resource-Limited Settings: Building and Growing the First Neurology Residency Program in East Africa

“…Between 2021 and 2023, a total of 61 manuscripts were authored by our alumni, including 27 original research articles, 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 16 case reports, 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 2 perspective pieces, 50 51 3 review articles, 52 53 54 1 book chapter, 55 1 association statement, 56 1 consensus statement, 57 1 data note, 58 and 8 that were published on a preprint server (not peer reviewed). 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 Of these academic contributions, 19 of these papers were published in journals with an impact factor of 3.0 to 10.0.…”