The World Health Organisation has said dementia is increasingly becoming a major public health challenge in Africa, costing families and societies about $15.6 million annually. 

The National Institute of Aging defined Dementia as “the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, and reasoning — to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities.”

The WHO in a statement on Thursday highlighted the increasing cases of dementia in Africa after its 2026 Regional Intercountry Workshop on Dementia, held between September 14 and 16 in Nairobi,  Kenya.

“Dementia is increasingly becoming a major public health challenge in Africa, with an estimated 1.9 million people currently living with the condition across the region,” WHO said.

It added, “The number is expected to rise significantly as populations grow and life expectancy increases.”

Highlighting the economic impact of dementia in Africa, the global health organisation said, “Beyond its health impact, dementia places a heavy economic burden on families and societies, costing an estimated US$15.6 billion annually in the African Region.”

It added, “Much of this burden falls on unpaid caregivers, predominantly women and family members, who spend an average of 12.9 hours per day providing care, far exceeding the global average of 7.8 hours.”

According to WHO, as of 2024, none of the 47 countries in the WHO African Region has a national dementia plan, either as a standalone framework or integrated into broader health strategies. 

“Only five countries had conducted public awareness campaigns on dementia, while seven were implementing activities aimed at reducing dementia risk,” WHO said.

The health organisation explained that its Nairobi workshop was aimed at ensuring health leaders from 10 African countries meet to discuss priority actions to advance national efforts to prevent dementia, improve diagnosis and expand access to care and support.

The workshop which gathered experts from Cabo Verde, Comoros, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe  discussed practical actions to strengthen national dementia response.

The Director of the Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control Cluster at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, Dr Benido Impouma, said, “This workshop is an important step towards building capacity in the Region for dementia prevention, care and support and reinforcing the collective response. Dementia is a public health priority for Africa. As the number of people affected continues to grow, countries need guidance, tools and data to act.”

“This workshop must translate into concrete action at country level. Our priority is to ensure that dementia is recognised early that people can access quality care and support, and that families are not left to face it alone,” said Dr Catherine Wanjiku Waweru, Focal Person for Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders, Ministry of Health, Kenya. 

According to WHO, while countries are at different stages of developing national dementia responses, the workshop provided a platform for the participating countries to identify common priorities for advancing action. 

These included addressing stigma and discrimination, improving dementia risk reduction, building health worker capacity for early diagnosis, treatment and care, integrating dementia services into primary health care, supporting carers, reinforcing data and surveillance systems, and promoting locally relevant research.