Breaking barriers: addressing inequities in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment in Africa

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) represents a substantial and escalating public health threat across Africa.Alzheimer’s disease leads to substantial cognitive impairment and memory loss, placing a heavy burden on both the affected individuals and their families, friends, and caregivers. It affects 2. 67 million people in Africa of which the majority live in sub-Saharan Africa. The prevalence of this disease is expected to rise drastically to approximately 150 million individuals worldwide by 2050, as estimated by the World Health Organization. This paper offers an integrative profile of Alzheimer’s disease in Africa spanning known genetic and modifiable risks, discuss the existing challenges in diagnosis and treatment, projections on prevalence and disability-adjusted life year burden through 2050, and priority policy responses needed to rebalance the equation. This paper examines available literature to summarize current knowledge on risk factors, diagnosis, treatments, and burden of Alzheimer’s disease in Africa. Gathering epidemiological assessments, clinical guidelines and commentary related to Alzheimer’s disease in Africa. The data reveals concerning realities regarding Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and care in Africa. Diagnostic infrastructure shortcomings, resource limitations and knowledge gaps emerge as recurring barriers. PET scans, CSF assays and other mainstay detection modalities common in developed countries show restricted availability Addressing Africa’s Alzheimer’s disease crisis demands a multi-pronged strategy to uplift diagnostic capacities, treatment availability, specialist training, public awareness and coordinated policymaking. Prioritizing biomarkers and imaging to confirm early neurodegeneration is foundational, alongside drug access expansion.