On September 26, the Central Geriatric Hospital in collaboration with the Vietnam Geriatric Association organized a program in response to the Alzheimer's disease Prevention and Control Action Month and World Alzheimer's Day (September 21) with the theme "Early Prevention - Long-term memories".
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Binh - Director of the Center for Research on memory and dementia, Central Geriatric Hospital said: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are currently more than 57 million people living with dementia globally (data in 2021), of which Alzheimer's disease accounts for about 6070% of cases.
WHO predicts that the number of people with dementia could increase to about 78 million by 2030 and more than 139 million by 2050. The World Alzheimer's Association (ADI) also warned that the burden of Alzheimer's disease is increasing rapidly, predicting that by 2040, dementia will become the third leading cause of death globally.
In Vietnam, it is estimated that about 600,000 people are living with mental decline and this number is expected to continue to increase with the rapid aging population. Intellectual impairment causes memory loss, reduced autonomy in daily activities, and puts a great burden on family and society.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Trung Anh, Director of the Central Geriatric Hospital, said that the Politburo has just issued Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW dated September 9, 2025 on a number of breakthrough solutions to strengthen protection, care and improve people's health.
In particular, the Resolution emphasized an important orientation, which is: strongly shifting from the mindset of focusing on medical examination and treatment to proactive disease prevention, focusing on comprehensive protection, care, and improvement of health, continuously throughout life.
The program responds to Alzheimer's Day and World Alzheimer's Day this year, organized with the theme "Early Prevention - Long-term memory retention" to emphasize the role of preventing early dementia to protect memory, maintain quality of life and reduce burdens on families and society.
"This is also a concrete demonstration of the proactiveness of the Central Geriatric Hospital in implementing the spirit of Resolution 72 from the very beginning, very early with practical activities," said Associate Professor Nguyen Trung Anh.
The doctor recommends that in order to take good and effective care of patients with Alzheimer's disease, the family needs to have great love because this care process is painful and prolonged, which can cause caregivers to suffer from depression and great pressure. Therefore, caregivers also need support.
As a leading specialized hospital in the field of elderly health care, the hospital not only focuses on expertise but also focuses on promoting community activities such as communication to raise awareness, encourage early screening, and build a model to support patients and families.
The Director of the Central Geriatric Hospital called on everyone to join hands to spread the message: Protect memory, care for the brain, accompany Alzheimer's patients and their families. This is not only a humane act, but also a responsibility to build a healthy, humane community, sustainable development, contributing to the prosperity of the country.
