World Alzheimer’s Month: Portraits of people with dementia around the world

Leah Beach shines a light on the stigma and isolation people living with dementia face

More than half of people diagnosed with the disease worldwide live in low and middle income countries, where there often isn’t even a word for it (Leah Beach)

Dementia is a global health crisis and one of the leading causes of death. Fifty million people live with dementia worldwide, with someone developing the condition every three seconds.

Globally, diagnosis rates are low, research is underfunded and people are receiving substandard or no care, with stigma in many communities remaining rife. In some countries, there’s not even a word for dementia.

Without action the world is woefully unprepared for the dementia crisis. This World Alzheimer’s Month, leaders around the world are being urged to take urgent action on dementia and unite to ensure better diagnosis, care and awareness.

The Alzheimer's Society is a founding member of the Global Alzheimer’s and Dementia Action Alliance, a coalition of NGOs seeking to champion global action on dementia.

Through collaboration with international NGO partners, dementia is starting to be recognised as a core development issue.

International civil society has a key role to play in tackling the dementia crisis, taking action with global governments to ensure that people with dementia are not left behind.

Global dementia key facts and figures:

1. Every three seconds someone in the world develops dementia

2. 50 million people live with dementia worldwide

3. Dementia is now a $1 trillion disease

4. The world’s economy is set to lose $2 trillion annually by 2030 unless dementia is tackled

5. More than half of people living with dementia worldwide (58 per cent) live in low and middle income countries. In some of these countries there isn’t even a word for dementia

6. The number of people with dementia is projected to almost triple to 131.5 million by 2050

7. Dementia is one of the top 5 causes of death worldwide

8. An average of three-quarters of people with dementia have not received a diagnosis worldwide

9. 82 billion informal care hours (care provided by loved ones) are provided annually to people with dementia. That’s the equivalent of more than 40 million full-time workers

10. Women contribute 58 billion (71 per cent) of informal care hours to people living with dementia

11. Dementia is a global women’s health, social care and rights issue that can no longer be ignored

12. There are now 40 countries signed up to the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends programme and committed to tackling stigma and upholding the rights of people with dementia

These images were commissioned by the Alzheimer's Society