Following the European Parliament elections which took place last month, and as the new European legislative term begins, Alzheimer Europe is re-issuing an urgent call to European and national organisations and other entities to endorse the “Helsinki Manifesto”. This Manifesto outlines the current situation in relation to dementia across Europe and makes specific demands for the European Union (EU), as well as for national governments. The Helsinki Manifesto highlights World Health Organization (WHO) figures which show that dementia is the third leading cause of mortality in Europe and the seventh globally, with a societal cost in Europe estimated to be EUR 392 billion in 2019. Additionally, it points out that by 2025, 9.1 million people will be living with dementia in the European Union (EU), rising to 14.3 million in 2050.
The Manifesto, which will be the basis of Alzheimer Europe’s campaign work in the coming years, is divided into the following policy areas:
• Health
• Research
• Disability and social rights
• Support for informal carers.
Under each policy area, a brief rationale for action is outlined, followed by a number of specific demands for European and national decisions-makers, including:
• Invest in improvements to support timely diagnosis, including access to imaging, biomarker testing and new treatment options
• Increase the funding allocated for dementia research, proportionate to its societal cost, bringing the total funding to at least the level of other non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
• Prioritise dementia in future health programmes, with dedicated funding for projects and actions, in line with other NCDs (e.g. cancer)
• Develop and implement a European Dementia Action Plan, to coordinate efforts and programmes across the domains of health, research and social affairs.
European and national organisations with a mutual interest in these policy areas are invited to endorse the Helsinki Manifesto. If your organisation would like to endorse the Helsinki Manifesto, please send an email to info@alzheimer-europe.org
Jean Georges, Executive Director of Alzheimer Europe, said: “With the number of people living with dementia expected to substantially increase in the coming years, as well as the considerable societal costs associated, it is time for European decision-makers to prioritise dementia and dedicate the resources needed to address it across the domains of health, research, disability rights and support for informal carers. Our Helsinki Manifesto and associated campaign not only highlight the scale of the challenge presented by dementia but also offer concrete steps for how European decision-makers can take decisive action in the coming years. We encourage organisations to support the Manifesto, today and help us make dementia a European priority!” You can find out more about the Helsinki Manifesto, including which organisations and entities have already endorsed it, here:
Download the Helsinki Manifesto as a PDF booklet, here: https://www.alzheimer-europe.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/final_-_helsinki_manifesto_-_digital.pdf
Read a one-page summary of the Helsinki Manifesto, here: https://www.alzheimer-europe.org/sites/default/files/2024-01/final_-_helsinki_manifesto_2023_-_1_page_summary.pdf
Our Dementia Pledge campaign draws to a close after European Parliament elections
With the Helsinki Manifesto forming the basis of Alzheimer Europe’s campaign work in 2024, the organisation is delighted to announce that, following the European Parliament elections between 6 and 9 June, its Dementia Pledge 2024 campaign has drawn to a close with an impressive 304 candidates signed up. This number breaks Alzheimer Europe’s previous record of 230 pledgees signed up before the 2019 elections. We would like to say a huge thank you to all of the associations who supported the campaign, contacted MEP candidates and played an integral part in making the campaign such a success!
Additionally, we would like to thank the European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD) and the European Dementia Carers Working Group (EDCWG) for their contributions to the campaign, helping us send strong messages to candidates that dementia needs to be a priority during the next parliamentary term. In the coming weeks, Alzheimer Europe will write to elected candidates, asking them to follow up on their commitment, as well as asking its national members associations to make contact, so as to establish a closer connection between MEPs and national Alzheimer’s organisations.
We are also working to re-establish the European Alzheimer’s Alliance (EAA) and will announce the new group after the summer. Following the Pledge campaign and the election results, we currently expect upwards of 70 members for this new incarnation of the EAA, which is a multinational and cross-party group that brings together MEPs to support European citizens living with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, as well as their supporters/carers. For a detailed breakdown of the MEPs elected in each country, more information is available on the European Parliament website: https://election-results.eu/