World Dementia Council Update

As scientific understanding, treatment advances, and interventions related to brain health continue to progress, advocacy strategies must also adapt. There is an increasing need to engage scientists, the public, governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to shape advocacy priorities and refine messaging. On July 30, 2025, the World Dementia Council (WDC), in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association, held a breakfast at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Toronto. This gathering brought together key players in policy, research, and program development to discuss emerging opportunities in Alzheimer's and dementia advocacy.

Dr. Joanne Pike, President and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association and chair of the WDC opened the meeting by highlighting the important shift in the dementia landscape, moving from a focus on research and care to one that also includes medical delivery. With this transition, advocacy becomes more important than ever to ensure that equity and access are central to treatment and service delivery. Lenny Shallcross, Executive Director of the WDC, expanded on these points, reiterating the urgency and opportunity of the current moment. Scientific advancements, particularly in prevention and diagnostics, have created new momentum. However, to make a lasting impact, efforts must be sustainable, inclusive, and scalable. As dementia becomes integrated into public health systems, advocacy efforts must adapt, bringing in new voices and perspectives to ensure continued progress.

To provide scientific context, Dr. Rebecca Edelmeyer, Vice President, Scientific Engagement, at the Alzheimer's Association and Dr. Donna Wilcock, Professor of Alzheimer's Disease Research and Neurology at Indiana University, shared updates and learnings from AAIC related to biomarkers, pathogenesis of disease, risk reduction, and treatment. A major highlight of the conference was the announcement of the positive results from the US POINTER study, which demonstrated the effectiveness of lifestyle-based risk reduction strategies. These findings represent a promising path forward, but will require a coordinated public health strategy to implement effectively across different communities. Other important updates included progress in the diagnostic pipeline, precision medicine, and the development of tools and guidelines, including new global guidelines on blood-based biomarkers.

Following the scientific updates, panelists convened to discuss how to translate these advances into global advocacy action.

Rob Egge, Chief Public Policy Officer at the Alzheimer's Association, emphasized that advocacy is not just important, but essential to achieving meaningful change within an acceptable timeframe. However, it requires sustained effort, organizational commitment, and meaningful public engagement. He encouraged advocates and organizations to pursue underexplored strategies and spaces, as this is where the change happens. He also underscored the importance of long-term relationship building with key decision makers.

Dr. Fiona Carragher, Chief Policy and Research Officer at Alzheimer's Society, stressed the vital role of patient organizations as both system leaders and credible voices when influencing policy and decision makers. Dr. Carragher highlighted important initiatives such as dementia friendly movements and improving diagnosis, two critical areas of importance, especially in the United Kingdom, where only two-thirds of individuals receive a dementia diagnosis. She also shared the need to shift the narrative around dementia. Messaging campaigns illustrating the reality of dementia and the importance of brain health have helped shift public and government perceptions. As a result, dementia has been recognized as one of the region's top health priorities.

Dr. Lea Grinberg, Professor of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), shared information about the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), a partnership between UCSF and Trinity College in Dublin to convene emerging leaders in brain health. This interdisciplinary program empowers people across different disciplines, including research, policy, journalism, and the arts, to address brain health, including social determinants of health, within their own countries. Through collaboration and capacity building GBHI fellows have made public health and policy changes across the world, offering a scalable and community-rooted model for brain health advancements.

Following the panelist presentations, Dr. Pike opened up the broader conversation on the role of advocacy in dementia. Attendees emphasized the importance of translating scientific advancements, such the growing excitement around AI, into meaningful engagement with the public, providers, and policymakers. Advocates, including researchers, were recognized as pivotal in conveying this excitement through clear, unified messaging.

The discussion also explored the role of the public in driving systemic change. Like other public health movements (e.g. obesity and semaglutide medication), lasting change comes when the public demands it, so motivation and personal relevance are key factors. Equity, scalability, and the need for sustained funding for effective advocacy were also focal points of the discussion.

Participants reflected on the public health successes in HIV/AIDS, cancer, and tobacco, suggesting that these can offer valuable lessons for advancing dementia advocacy. The discussion closed by calling for continued global collaboration and networking as well as a unified, strategic approach that integrates dementia within the broader public health ecosystem.

To learn more about the WDC, please visit worlddementiacouncil.org or email Lenny Shallcross, Executive Director, at [email protected].