Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that progresses in stages, beginning with a long silent phase before symptoms occur, and the underlying cause in 70% of people with dementia. Dementia, which is not a specific disease but an overall term that describes a group of symptoms, is characterized by a decline in memory, thinking, behavior and the ability to perform everyday activities.
It is estimated that 9.7 million people in Europe alone already live with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. With a rapidly ageing population, it is a growing public health concern worldwide as this number is projected to rise to a staggering 14 million by 2030.
It is clear that we can no longer afford to soft-pedal the agenda of Alzheimer’s disease. Now is the time to address the rapidly growing challenge that Alzheimer’s poses on our society and emphasize the need for increased investment to reduce the burden of this progressive condition. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the need for financial and infrastructural investment in order to respond — timely, equitably and sustainably — to future challenges. This is true for unpredictable events such as COVID-19, but is also for chronic, high prevalence and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
EBC joins in supporting the message delivered by a trio of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in a new video to raise awareness for the cause:
This video was produced by POLITICO Studio, Biogen and supported by EBC, EU40 – the network of young MEPs and the Global Coalition on Aging. All outputs are non-promotional and not specific to any particular treatment or therapy.
The original news announcement can be found here.