At the recent Nature Conference held in Nairobi, George Vrandenburg, the founding chairman of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, emphasized the urgent need for advancing Alzheimer’s research in Africa.

Regions of the genome associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in African populations will be presented at the Future of Dementia in Africa conference on September 11-12, 2024. The studies highlight discrepancies compared to Caucasian populations and underscore that a lack of diversity in genomic studies potentially limits the effectiveness of targeted therapies across diverse populations.

A lack of diversity in genomic studies for dementia could limit the effectiveness of targeted therapies across underrepresented populations, finds research by UCL experts.

“Dementia is a health, financial and social problem of almost unimaginable proportions,” said George Vradenburg, founding chairman of the board of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC). “It may prove to be the sinkhole of the 21st Century.”

Dementia could become one of Africa’s biggest health crises unless urgent interventions are introduced to counter the continent’s disproportionate incidence of the 14 changeable risk factors.

The conference will address key challenges and share latest research on the epidemiology of dementia, including contributing risk factors, genetic advances, clinical trials, early detection, and diagnosis, emphasizing the importance of brain health throughout the lifespan.

The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC) earned about a dozen significant media placements between July 26 and Aug. 7, with the bulk of coverage centered on DAC’s presentations at AAIC and some additional coverage on DAC’s recent initiatives in Africa.

New research suggests long-term exposure to wildfire smoke may significantly increase dementia risk, posing a greater threat to brain health than other forms of air pollution.

Physicians are starting to develop and implement beta-amyloid testing.

Healthcare System Preparedness Program Director, Tim MacLeod, reports on the DAC Healthcare System Preparedness program as it relates to the exciting Alzheimer’s innovations discussed at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Philadelphia.

There's growing evidence that blood tests can accurately diagnose Alzheimer's disease and pave the way for earlier treatment of more patients.

“PET scans can cost thousands of dollars and are often only available at large academic medical centers, and patients can be hesitant to do spinal taps,” said George Vradenburg, Founding Chairman of the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative.

Ending Alzheimer’s Disease Everywhere with Dr. Tim MacLeod, PhD & Dr. Vaibhav Narayan, PhD of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, a pioneering worldwide initiative to cure Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. They are seeking to mirror the success of global efforts against infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Covid, and Malaria.

Nature Africa spoke to Mie Rizig, a clinical senior research fellow at University College London, and conference Scientific Committee member, about how the event will provide a platform to unite scientists and communities, in the search for accessible solutions.

Africa has taken a major step toward its commitment to brain health and research across the continent this week with the passage of the Yaoundé Declaration on Brain Economy, Brain Health, and Brain Capital during the African High-Level Science Summit in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, a pioneering worldwide initiative to cure Alzheimer’s disease and improve brain health, is set to present its work advancing global equity and health system innovation at the 2024 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Philadelphia.

There are three main reasons to believe 2024 marks the start of a new chapter for Alzheimer’s: the promise of new therapies, new blood-based/diagnostic tests, and new commitment to putting these tools into practice.

Project will accelerate the use of blood biomarkers in patient care

First dementia and brain health conference convened by Nature on the African continent