One of the diseases that is increasing day by day is Alzheimer’s disease, which is why the need for preventive measures in order to increase the general health of the society and reduce the incidence of forgetfulness should be given serious attention by people and health managers in the world.
Due to the high social and financial costs, in the absence of comprehensive measures, this disease will pose a great challenge to the public health of societies in the near future, so that according to the World Health Organization, in 2018, the cost of Alzheimer’s in the world will reach one trillion dollars. .
Ecosystem-health and health: Based on this, the cost of facing this biggest public health challenge of countries will exceed the value of big companies like Google, Apple and Exxon oil company.
Alzheimer’s costs impose countless challenges directly on the health and social systems and indirectly affect the national income of countries; Because the patients are forced to leave their jobs and attend the community due to their illness and their families to take care of them.
A report on the cost of Alzheimer’s disease in the UK shows that 800,000 people were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in England in 2012, and about 18% of the country’s total health budget is spent on these patients.
Alzheimer’s disease does not have a definitive cure, and research shows that it is only possible to prevent the occurrence of this disease and reduce its acceleration by taking measures. The lack of treatment methods for Alzheimer’s shows the importance of prevention and the need to pay more attention to this category.
The World Health Organization has announced in its statement on the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day (September 30):
Prevention and early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s benefit the economy of countries; People whose illness is diagnosed on time can use services and live independently for a longer period of time; Therefore, it is very important for people to know the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and to see the doctor early and get help.
The statement adds:
Early diagnosis provides a good opportunity for the affected person and his caregiver to plan for a meaningful life in the remaining time.
Early diagnosis allows a person to live independently for a long time, the risk of depression decreases and the quality of life increases.
– With early diagnosis, affected people can participate in research to improve care methods and maybe find a definitive cure.
Alzheimer
Alzheimer’s disease damages the brain. This disease causes gradual and continuous loss of the brain and can affect speaking, thinking and carrying out daily activities.
Alzheimer’s becomes more severe over time and the amount of brain degeneration increases, but the speed of this degeneration is different in different patients. Some people lose the ability to do their daily activities in the early stages of the disease, but others may face these problems in the later stages of the disease.
Mild memory loss and forgetfulness are common in people over 60 years old, but it cannot be a sign of Alzheimer’s in all people; However, the person should undergo medical examinations for a more accurate diagnosis.
Prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in Iran and the world
According to the World Health Organization, in low-income and middle-income countries, one out of every 10 people is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Currently, 28 million people in the world have Alzheimer’s disease without knowing it. This number is equivalent to three quarters of all Alzheimer’s patients. There are more than 36 million people with Alzheimer’s disease, which is estimated to increase to more than 65 million people by 2030.
In fact, 7.7 million people are added to the population of Alzheimer’s patients in the world every year, which is equal to the population of Switzerland.
Currently, one person in the world suffers from Alzheimer’s disease every four seconds, and in Iran, one person is added to the number of people suffering from this disease every 11 and a half minutes.
In Iran, according to an estimate made in 2016, Alzheimer’s is the fifth cause of death after heart and cerebral strokes, road accidents and high blood pressure, and estimates show that between 600 and 700 thousand people in the country are affected by this disease. are.
Forecasts show that due to the growth of the country’s elderly population, Iran will also face the challenge of Alzheimer’s problems in the coming years. Therefore, according to the experts and experts in this field, it is necessary to formulate solutions and documented plans for scientific exposure and prevention of complications and costs caused by this disease.
According to Dr. Zahra Naveparast, the director general of the daily rehabilitation and medical capacity office of the country’s welfare organization, from 1390 to 1395, Iran’s elderly population has increased from 2.8 to 9.3 percent, currently there are about seven and a half million elderly people in the country. And it is estimated that by the end of the first half of the 21st century, this amount will increase to three times.
Also, the World Health Organization has announced that in 2040, the elderly population of Iran will be more than the children of this country.
Global plan to fight Alzheimer’s
The World Health Organization has approved the global action plan for Alzheimer’s, according to which countries are required to have a dementia action plan by 2025; Therefore, governments have a serious responsibility to improve prevention and information strategies so that more patients are identified.
Iran’s plans to deal with Alzheimer’s
In line with the announcement of the World Health Organization regarding the responsibility of countries to develop programs to deal with Alzheimer’s, programs have also been developed and started in Iran, including the development of the National Dementia Document, the feasibility of diagnostic tests, screening, and the Comprehensive Support Law. of the disabled and the establishment of geriatrics in universities.
– Compilation of the National Dementia Document has been started with the cooperation of the Iranian Alzheimer’s Association and the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education; The expert actions of this document were carried out in the Alzheimer’s Association and its draft was submitted to the Ministry of Health last year to be implemented after approval by the Council of Deputies and the Minister of Health.
Currently, this document is going through expert stages and it is expected that the Ministry of Health will soon, by approving and allocating funds, institutionalize this plan in the country and help the affected people and caregivers in sync with other countries.
Studies show that timely diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can delay the disability caused by it for five years; Therefore, in Iran, the screening plan for Alzheimer’s patients has been started for the past two years, and now the first phase of it has been completed in Tehran province.
The aim of this plan is to identify the elderly suffering from or about to suffer from Alzheimer’s in a timely manner, which is being implemented in cooperation with the National Welfare Organization and the Alzheimer’s Association of Iran, and it is planned to be implemented in four other provinces after Tehran, and then throughout the country to identify patients. to pay
– Alzheimer’s Association of Iran, with the participation of the country’s welfare organization, has been working on a plan regarding the feasibility of diagnostic tests and screening since July 2014, which is going through the final stages until the results are obtained and the index test (Gold Standard) is prepared. With the cooperation of related organizations, the screening program will be implemented throughout the country and early diagnosis, effective treatment, reduction of infection and macroeconomic savings will be realized in the future of the country.
– The comprehensive law for the protection of the disabled is one of the other plans being approved in the parliament, a part of which is related to the elderly, and in which the improvement of the streets is required.
Allowance for the maintenance and nursing of the elderly is also seen in this law in such a way that the people who take care of the elderly are granted the right of nursing.
– Launching the field of geriatric medicine in Iran for the past five years and training 9 specialists in this field is one of the other measures taken by the country in relation to Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases of old age, which, considering the increase in the growth of the country’s elderly population, More attention should be paid to the expansion of this field and the training of doctors and nurses specializing in the field of geriatrics.
The slogan of World Alzheimer’s Day 2017
The World Health Organization has designated the sentence ‘Remember me’ as the motto of World Alzheimer’s Day in 2017; This slogan is designed to encourage people to pay more attention to the warning signs of the disease and also to remember those who are suffering from this disease.
Paying attention to the symptoms and avoiding the factors that cause Alzheimer’s disease is very important due to the lack of definitive treatment for this disease; In addition to genetic factors, many factors such as illiteracy, obesity, reduced physical activity, reduced social interactions, smoking, and suffering from heart and brain diseases, diabetes, and high blood fat are among the acquired causes that apart from genetic factors can cause Alzheimer’s disease.
therefore; It can be concluded that in addition to the duty of governments in the field of prevention and timely diagnosis of patients, the general public should also avoid the factors that cause it by increasing their awareness of this disease and do their personal and social duty in this field.
Source: IRNA
October 7, 2016 11:06
share (How can you send this article to others)
