Dementia is becoming a major public health issue in Africa as populations age. Alzheimer’s Disease International estimated that Sub‑Saharan Africa had more than two million people living with dementia in 2015 and projected nearly eight million by 2050. The World Health Organization reports roughly 55 million people live with dementia worldwide, with about 10 million new cases each year and around 60 per cent of cases in low‑ and middle‑income countries.
At the Future of Dementia in Africa conference in Nairobi, speakers emphasised the need for genetic research to fill knowledge gaps. George Vradenburg of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative said Africa’s microbiome, environmental stresses and very diverse genetics could teach researchers a lot. A 2023 study showed that over a third of people of African ancestry carried a genetic risk factor for Parkinson’s, and researchers hope comparable studies will reveal insights for Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Stigma and misunderstanding still affect many communities, where dementia is sometimes blamed on witchcraft. Kenyan health workers including David Ndetei engaged traditional healers, religious leaders and clergy to open dialogue; as Ndetei said, they showed respect for traditional views while also explaining the medical perspective, and traditional healers now refer patients to clinicians.
New technologies are being developed for early detection. Jim Todd and his team in Mwanza, Tanzania, are testing a digital tool that analyses voice patterns against blood biomarkers, looking at 65 priority features and planning a second round of voice data collection over six months to a year to relate changes to blood markers. Experts also stressed social and lifestyle approaches such as massage, herbal remedies and music therapy, and called for collaboration among researchers, the private sector and governments and for national dementia programmes. Vradenburg argued that working together could speed advances, citing HIV/AIDS research as an example of successful African‑led discoveries.
- Genetic research to find local risk factors
- Community work to reduce stigma
- Digital tools for early detection
Difficult words
- dementia — progressive loss of memory and thinking skills
- microbiome — community of microorganisms living in a body
- stigma — negative social attitudes that lead to exclusion
- biomarker — a measurable substance indicating a biological conditionbiomarkers
- ancestry — a person's family origins or ethnic background
- detection — process of discovering a disease or problem
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could genetic research in African populations change global understanding of dementia?
- What are the benefits and challenges of involving traditional healers and religious leaders in dementia care?
- How might digital voice analysis change access to early detection in low‑resource settings?
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