Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month highlights importance of early diagnosis

September marks Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, a global initiative aimed at increasing awareness of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The campaign emphasizes the critical importance of early diagnosis, as an estimated 75 percent of people living with dementia worldwide remain undiagnosed. In some low- and middle-income countries, this figure reaches up to 90 percent.

Medical experts note that while a cure does not yet exist, early detection allows for interventions that can slow disease progression. Addressing risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, poor diet, and social isolation could potentially delay or prevent up to 45 percent of cases. New advancements, including blood-based biomarker testing, are also improving diagnostic capabilities.

In Belišće, Croatia, the City Library and Reading Room is hosting a special program on September 15, 2026. The event features lectures by Professor Ninoslav Mimica, head of the Ministry of Health’s Reference Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, and Sandra Kerovec from the OZANA association. The program includes discussions on living with the disease and the importance of social connectivity and creativity for the elderly.