Science, Advocacy and Global Policies for Alzheimer Patients

As global populations age and dementia cases surge, Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) stands at the forefront of a worldwide response, uniting over 100 national associations to drive policy change, strengthen member capacity, and amplify the voices of people living with dementia and their families. From advancing the WHO Global Action Plan as a non-state actor in official relations with the World Health Organization, to pioneering prevention, early diagnosis, and advocacy initiatives, ADI bridges cutting-edge science with social action, striving not only for care and inclusion today but a future where dementia can be prevented, managed, and ultimately cured.

We spoke with Chief Executive Officer Paola Barbarino to explore ADI’s mission, its global impact, the road to the 2026 Global Conference in Lyon, France, and the organisation’s future priorities.

Around the world, dementia is becoming a defining public health and social challenge, and ADI plays a central role in unifying national associations, advocating for policy change, and supporting people affected by dementia. To begin, could you explain ADI's mission and vision, and how these are translated into concrete global actions to address your foundational goals? How do you ensure that this mission remains relevant amid rapid scientific, demographic, and geopolitical changes?

Alzheimer’s Disease International’s (ADI) mission is to strengthen national Alzheimer and dementia associations, amplify the voices of people living with dementia and their families, and ensure dementia is recognised as a global public health priority. Our vision is risk reduction, timely diagnosis, care and inclusion today, and cure tomorrow.

We seek to achieve our goals in three ways. First, we build the capacity of our member associations in more than 100 countries, providing training, technical guidance, and platforms for shared learning to improve national advocacy and services. Secondarily, we generate and translate research, working with global experts, to equip governments, civil society organisations, and frontline practitioners with to the minute updates on treatment and research developments. Finally, through awareness raising, ADI Is proud to play host to the longest running international conference on dementia, attracting over 1,000 delegates from all corners of the world. The ADI’s 2026 International conference will be held in Lyon, France on 14-16 April 2026.

Beyond advocacy, ADI leads strategic initiatives aimed at improving prevention, early diagnosis, and the strengthening of member associations worldwide – especially in low- and middle-income countries where resources are limited. What are the most significant projects or initiatives currently undertaken by ADI, particularly in the areas of prevention, early diagnosis and capacity building across your network of members? What indicators or milestones have you identified to measure the success and long-term impact of these initiatives?

ADI works extensively with its members to secure concrete national commitments from governments to strengthen dementia policy, with a particular focus on driving progress against the WHO Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia. This is especially pertinent to LMICs where more than two-thirds of people living with dementia are expected to be living.

Through the implementation of National Dementia Plans covering all seven actions areas of the Global Action Plan, including risk reduction and a timely diagnosis, ADI encourages governments to put people living with dementia at the forefront of their response. Importantly robust National Dementia Plans, require a strong civil society presence to support its implementation and monitoring.

To achieve this, ADI delivers its Alzheimer University and Twinning programmes, offering governance training, mentorship and operational support to strengthen the long-term sustainability of member associations. In addition, our 2026 conference in Lyon will also provide a key platform for members, researchers and policymakers to exchange best practices.

The ADI biennial conference often gives us a platform for engage with the host country’s Ministry of Health, which we did at our last conference in Krakow, resulting in a commitment to develop a National Dementia Plan.
 

As global populations age at unprecedented rates, dementia prevalence is rising sharply, placing pressure on health systems, caregivers, and communities. Given the growing impact of dementia worldwide – driven largely by demographic ageing – how does ADI assess its social role, and what tangible outcomes do you observe for individuals living with dementia and their families? What strategies does your association use to reduce stigma and raise public awareness in regions where dementia is still poorly understood or widely overlooked?

Every year ADI organises it annual World Alzheimer’s Month campaign to raise awareness of dementia and challenge the stigma still surrounding a condition will affects over 60 million people across the world, a figure expected to rise to 139 million by 2050. To achieve this, ADI works closely with our associations to organise events and memory runs, amplify the campaign across social media, and engage traditional media to raise awareness of the needs of people living with dementia.

The involvement of people living with dementia and their carers is indispensable. Their contributions provide both the depth and highlight the complexity of living with the condition, as well as the vital reassurance that a diagnosis is not an end point but a transition, one in which individuals can continue to live meaningful and enjoyable lives. At ADI’s global conference, the voices of those with lived experience, highlighting their own experiences or raising awareness in their communities, are consistently among the most poignant and inspiring aspects for attendees. The conference also provides a valuable platform for member associations, policymakers and researchers to showcase their awareness raising activities, highlight local advocacy efforts, and share innovative approaches to addressing the growing public health burden that dementia presents.

ADI represents a diverse network of associations operating in very different cultural and economic contexts, requiring a governance model that is inclusive, transparent, and adaptable. How does ADI ensure fair representation of its member associations and integrate their diverse realities into global strategic planning? What mechanisms allow member voices – especially from under-resourced regions – to shape the organisation’s policies and priorities?

ADI maintains regular communication with all our members, whether by e-mail, Zoom, WhatsApp or telephone. This continual connectivity ensures we remain up to date with developments in each country and can provide timely support whenever it is needed. We also have two regional directors, for Asia-Pacific and for the Americas, who champion our members and promote dementia as a public health priority across their respective regions.

Importantly, ADI treats every member equally, a principle set out clearly in our constitution. Each year, members can formally propose motions and help shape ADI’s strategy, with every association having an equal vote in determining our priorities and direction. In conference years, such as 2026, this Council meeting takes place in person and offers members the chance to network, share learning and provide mutual support, particularly valuable for those working in low-resourced settings.

From a resilience perspective, how does the association maintain economic independence – whether through sponsorships, paid content, non-due revenues or other sources? Could you elaborate on your approach to funding, while safeguarding neutrality and mission integrity?

ADI varies its sources of income as to ensure economic but also operational independence. Alongside membership fees, ADI receives funding from a substantial number of philanthropic and private donors. ADI does not accept government funding, ensuring our advocacy remains fully independent and free from potential conflicts of interest. ADI also caps the proportion of funding that can come from any single donor, so that no donor holds undue influence over our work.
 

With rapid advancements in biomarkers, diagnostics, risk-reduction strategies and therapeutic innovations, I imagine that ADI is working to bridge scientific developments with social advocacy, policy recommendations and real-world impact. How does ADI balance the medical/scientific dimension of dementia research with its social, human-rights and advocacy missions? 

For ADI, the scientific and human-rights dimensions of dementia are not competing priorities but mutually reinforcing. Breakthroughs in research may lead to easier, more accurate diagnosis or better post-diagnostic support, but their benefits can only be realised if policymakers prepare health and care systems to implement them effectively and equitably. ADI are reassured by the research pipeline of new treatments being developed for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias but also by the ground-breaking work being undertaken to address causal and risk factors for dementia, all of which will be discussed at ADI’s upcoming conference in Lyon.

ADI collaborates with governments, NGOs, academia, health institutions and industry partners, giving its initiatives both reach and credibility. What types of partnerships does ADI currently prioritise, and how do these collaborations enhance your capacity to drive global change in dementia care and policy? Are there emerging sectors or regions where you see significant potential for new, impactful collaborations?

ADI’s global conference in early 2026 will bring together representatives from NGOs, academia, science, research, health institutions and industry partners, as we fervently believe that all sectors are needed to drive meaningful progress in dementia treatment, care and policy. The event will also serve as a platform for emerging regions and sectors to showcase their work to a like-minded audience, build new partnerships and contribute to a global response to dementia.

What are the core objectives of the Global Conference 2026 in Lyon, and what kind of legacy do you hope this event will leave for the scientific community, associations, caregivers and people living with dementia? How do you envision the conference influencing long-term policy frameworks or capacity building across your member organisations?

The Global Conference 2026 in Lyon, France (14-16 April) will be an opportunity to reaffirm dementia as both a global scientific priority and as well as public health and social concern. The conference will spotlight the cutting edge of dementia research, spanning new treatments and care innovations to the vital work of reducing stigma and discrimination surrounding the condition.

The legacy we wish to leave is a tangible one. France remains without a standalone national dementia policy, placing it at odds with most other G7 countries and with their commitment to the WHO Global Action Plan on the public health response to dementia in 2017 and 2025; our hope for this conference is to receive robust and firm commitments from the French Government to develop and implement such a plan, so that people living with dementia and carers receive the support they need and deserve. For other countries, we aim to showcase advances in dementia policy globally, providing a framework, inspiration and support to influence dementia policy across all settings.
 

For global conferences to create meaningful change, ideas must translate into commitments, and commitments into sustainable implementation. Regarding host city selection, what strategic factors guide ADI's choice of destination for its Global Conference? How will ADI ensure that the discussions and commitments made at Lyon 2026 are transformed into concrete, lasting actions – particularly in countries with limited resources or fragile health systems?

ADI hosts its Global Conference every two years, helping to ensure that our members can elevate national awareness and draw attention to the urgent need for stronger support for people living with dementia and for those who care for them. As France lacks a standalone dementia plan or framework, it falls behind other countries in providing formalised framework to support people living with dementia and carers. Accordingly, our hope for this conference is to receive robust and firm commitments from the French Government to develop and implement such a plan, so that people living with dementia and carers receive the support they need and deserve.
 

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