We are delighted to welcome you to the 34th edition of our “Dementia in Europe” policy magazine, which has been published, today, in an electronic format. The decision to change to an electronic format was taken earlier in 2020, prior to the publication of issue 33, in light of some of the uncertainties around COVID-19 and its impact on service-providers.
The first section of the magazine highlights some of our efforts to ensure dementia remains a European priority. It includes: an article introducing our new Board of Directors; an interview with outgoing Chairperson of the European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD) Helen Rochford-Brennan; details of three EU projects in which we are involved (Paradigm, RADAR-AD and MOPEAD); and our recent position statement on the impact COVID-19 is having on dementia research.
In the Policy Watch section, we are delighted to feature: an interview with the European Commission’s Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, Dubravka Šuica; an interview with the German Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Franziska Giffey, who shared details of the new German National Dementia Strategy; details of the recent meeting of the European Group of Government Experts on Dementia; the latest EU policy developments in relation to the long-term budget of the EU, as well as health and research policies; progress on key areas of work of the World Health Organization (WHO), such as the new knowledge exchange platform as part of the Global Dementia Observatory (GDO) and a new toolkit for dementia inclusive initiatives; and an update on COVID-19 exit strategies across Europe and how countries are preparing to resume care and support services.
Our third section, Dementia in Society, covers: an interview with Kate Lee, the new CEO of the UK Alzheimer’s Society; a new working group of people with dementia launched in Vienna, Austria, in the early part of this year, seen through the eyes of Angela Pototschnigg, member of this new group and also of the EWGPWD; an article about the Bring Dementia Out campaign in the UK, which seeks to challenge the stigma faced by LGBT+ persons with dementia, taking a rights-based approach; a commentary piece with Professor Gill Livingston, the lead author of “Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission” who outlines how best to prevent dementia and support those living with the condition, while four other experts in the field give us the European research project perspective (EU-FINGERS, PRIME, RECOGNISED and ADAIR); and finally, we introduce the newly-launched Brain Health Scotland initiative, which aims to help people of all ages to protect their brain health and reduce their risk of diseases including dementia.
The fourth and final section is a special overview of 30 years of Alzheimer Europe, to celebrate our 30th anniversary. Executive Director, Jean Georges reflects on his 24 years with the organisation and his views on the many achievements during this time; Chairperson, Iva Holmerova discusses the key areas of work for the organisation and the role of the Board over the years; outgoing Honorary Treasurer, Maria do Rosário Zincke Dos Reis then provides her insights on the financial position of the organisation and how this has changed over time; and a final article looks back at some of the key milestones in Alzheimer Europe’s 30 years leading the European Dementia Movement.
The entire back catalogue of Dementia in Europe magazines is also now available in this new electronic format, on our website: http://bit.ly/DementiaInEurope