September 2018 is World Alzheimer’s Dementia Month.
September 2018 is World Alzheimer’s Dementia Month. Dementia is impaired cognition sufficient to affect a person’s ability to perform activities of daily living. Cognition is simply thinking but can also be seen as the mental process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and the senses. People with dementia have variable combinations of memory and other cognitive difficulties, behavioural abnormalities and/or motor dysfunction. It is estimated that every 3 seconds, a person comes down with dementia worldwide. In countries with ageing population such as in the US, Japan and in Europe, dementia has assumed a public health concern due to the increasing incidence and prevalence as people live longer. By 2050, more than 70% of people with dementia are expected to be in the developing countries. Studies from Nigeria have found prevalence rates between 2 – 10.1% depending on the instruments used. Every 3 seconds, someone develops dementia in the