Pan American Health Organization urges early dementia detection across Latin America

Health authorities in Latin America are highlighting a growing public‑health challenge as the region's population ages and cases of neurodegenerative diseases rise. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has called on governments to improve early identification of dementia, strengthen primary‑care services and remove barriers that delay diagnosis for thousands of people. PAHO notes that dementia, most often caused by Alzheimer's disease, remains widely under‑diagnosed in the region, leading to significant social, economic and familial impacts.

The new strategy urges better surveillance systems, increased medical training and expanded access to cognitive assessments, along with improved data collection and mechanisms for early detection. These steps are intended to enable patients to receive guidance before memory loss, behavioral changes and loss of autonomy become severe, and to inform more effective public‑policy responses.