First Africa Alzheimer's Conference, for medical and caregivers

Whilst planning this Congress, the organisers were contacted by ADI (Alzheimer's Disease International), which agreed to combine its regional congress with the South African Congress. This has resulted in the Congress being named as the second Regional African Alzheimer's Congress, which has brought a number of benefits to the Congress:

• There will be five international speakers at the Congress - one of them from Nigeria, speaking specifically about dementia in Africa
  
• The ADI will also share the work that has been done with the World Health Organisation, which resulted in a very authoritative report (www.alz.co.uk/WHO-dementia-report), calling on all governments to develop a national plan.

The WHO report, 'Dementia: a Public Health Priority', gives the global numbers and cost of the disease and reveals the fact that there is a new case every four seconds somewhere in the world.

Currently eight countries have implemented these national plans and other countries have started work to prepare for the dementia epidemic.

The scientific committee has developed a work group session to meet at the congress in May with the objective of creating the SA Dementia Manifesto. It plans to lead the way and be the first country in Africa to have a national dementia plan; it would be important that government be in at this level.

In New Zealand the 'dementia manifesto' (www.alzheimers.org.nz/files/reports/Dementia-Manifesto-2.pdf) resulted in a national dementia strategy that government has committed substantial additional funding towards.

Caregivers, CPD points

There are two programmes, one for caregivers on 10 May and one for GPs and specialists on 10-11 May. The two-day congress carries the usual CPD points and points for Ethics. It promises to be an excellent gathering space to network and share knowledge.

To register, go to https://eventscentral.co.za/registrations/aac2013/, for more information, go to www.africaalzheimers.co.za.