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African Health Leaders Advance Regional Action on Dementia Care
Nairobi, Kenya — 16 September 2026
Health experts from 10 African countries have concluded a WHO regional workshop in Nairobi focused on strengthening national responses to dementia.
The three-day meeting, held from 14–16 September, brought together representatives from Cabo Verde, Comoros, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
WHO estimates that approximately 1.9 million people are living with dementia in the African Region, with the number expected to rise as populations grow and life expectancy increases. The condition is also associated with a substantial economic burden, estimated by WHO at US$15.6 billion annually across the region.
The meeting identified several areas for stronger national action, including reducing stigma and discrimination, improving early diagnosis, strengthening health-worker capacity, integrating dementia services into primary healthcare and expanding support for caregivers.
WHO also highlighted gaps in national policy. As of 2024, none of the 47 countries in the WHO African Region had a national dementia plan either as a standalone framework or integrated into broader health strategies.
The Nairobi workshop therefore focused on translating the growing evidence on dementia into practical national responses, including stronger surveillance, locally relevant research and risk-reduction measures.
The discussion places ageing and long-term care within a broader African health-system agenda increasingly shaped by changing population demographics.
Verified source: WHO Regional Office for Africa
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Courtesy Photo/ WHO
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