World Brain Day, celebrated annually on 22 July, serves as a call to action for increased neurological health awareness and advocacy. In the context of a rapidly ageing global population, the burden of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease is rising, posing significant challenges to healthcare systems. These progressive disorders not only diminish quality of life, but also contribute substantially to disability and dependency among older adults. Apart from posing a public health concern, they pose personal issues affecting individuals and families, and contribute to long-term care needs among the elderly, both for professional and informal care. These diseases erode memory and independence, and often lead to emotional and physical hardship for patients and families. Cases of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are increasing globally.
Several factors are contributing to the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s and PD. These included the ageing population and increased detection and diagnosis. GlobalData’s Alzheimer’s and PD epidemiology forecasts shed light on the future burden of these diseases.
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The latest report forecasts an increase in the diagnosed prevalent cases of Alzheimer’s in the eight major markets (8MM: China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK and the US) from approximately 11 million in 2025 to more than 12.3 million in 2028. Diagnosed prevalent cases of PD are expected to increase from 2.7 million cases in 2025 to 3.1 million cases in 2033 in the seven major markets (7MM: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK and the US). Understanding the key risk factors and potential challenges of managing these diseases will help healthcare providers and patients recognise symptoms earlier, which could slow disease progression, understand individual risk factors, and coordinate care among different health professionals, such as neurologists, primary care providers and caregivers.
With global life expectancy rising, the at-risk population for Alzheimer’s and PD will grow. Awareness days can help educate people on professional and self-administered screening tools for signs of memory and cognitive impairment related to Alzheimer’s, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Mini-Cog (administered by professionals), and the self-administered test called SAGE (the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam). In the case of PD, events such as World Brain Day can shed light on symptoms such as tremors, stiffness and slow movement.
Awareness days draw attention to diseases. They advance global notice, understanding and diagnosis. By spotlighting brain health on an international stage, the campaign encourages collaboration among researchers, clinicians and policymakers to address gaps in access to care and treatment. This is important when we consider that Alzheimer’s and PD are major challenges in an ageing world.
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By GlobalData
