2023-09-04 15:05:20
Neurodegenerative diseases and in particular Alzheimer’s disease represent one of the greatest challenges in the health and medical field in a country like Italy, the second longest-lived in the world, and qualify as a real public health problem, especially exponential growth, with a strong impact on the national health, social and economic system. Every year on September 21, World Alzheimer’s Day is celebrated all over the world, established in 1994 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Alzheimer’s disease international (Adi) with the aim of supporting awareness of this pathology and to sensitize public opinion and institutions on the importance of tackling this disease at a social-health and welfare level.
In the world, according to WHO data, over 55 million people live with dementia, one of the main causes of disability and non-self-sufficiency among elderly people, and there are 700,000 cases in Italy alone. Like all forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s involves a progressive decline of cognitive functions, starting with memory. For this reason, the symbol of this day is the “forget me not”, with its characteristic purple color. “As a sign of closeness to Italian patients with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers and as a sign of support to the many doctors and researchers who fight against this pathology every day – says the deputy Annarita Patriarca, co-promoter, together with Senator Beatrice Lorenzin, of the ‘Parliamentary Intergroup for Neuroscience and Alzheimer’s born last July and which today has over 60 parliamentarians between the Chamber and the Senate – we asked the Speaker of the Chamber, Lorenzo Fontana, and of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa, to light up the facade in purple dei Palazzi” on the evening of 21 September.
“We would like our appeal to be taken up by all the other main institutions, associations and realities involved in this therapeutic area – continues Patriarca – it is essential that a strong signal arrives about the need to consider these pathologies as a primary health problem public, addressing the most critical issues in a structural way and with concrete actions, such as the refinancing of the Fund for Alzheimer’s and dementia for the next three years”.
“Maintaining attention to this pathology is a very important and necessary step to also promote better care of the patient – underlines Lorenzin – starting from the early diagnosis of the disease, followed by a personalized approach and the strengthening of an integrated network of health care present in the area, which facilitates access to services, continuity of care, and the development of common clinical and research pathways. For this reason we are confident that the Ministry of Health will refinance the fund for Alzheimer’s and dementias”.
From an economic point of view – reads a note – in Italy the costs linked to Alzheimer’s disease are estimated at 15.6 billion euros, of which 80% are borne directly by the patients’ families. For this reason, one of the objectives of the Intergroup is to encourage the allocation of resources dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of patients, in order to create new diagnostic-therapeutic-assistance pathways at a regional and local level. At the end of this year – continues the note – the funding of the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Fund, established in 2020 with the aim of improving the social protection of people with dementia and ensuring early diagnosis and taking timely care of people with Alzheimer’s disease through the financing of the lines of action envisaged by the regions in application of the National Dementia Plan and for the purchase by the regions of healthcare equipment for the early diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients with the disease of Alzheimer’s.
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