The Gambia Adopts First National Dementia Plan, Marking a Milestone for Africa

Banjul, 29 September 2026– The Gambia has actually confirmed and embraced its very first National Dementia Plan 2027-2031, the very first of its kind in the WHO African Region, marking a considerable action towards enhancing avoidance, early medical diagnosis, care and assistance for individuals coping with dementia and their households. The turning point likewise uses a crucial example for other nations in the WHO African Region looking for to make dementia a public health top priority.

Led by the Ministry of Health’s National Mental Health Programme, the advancement of the strategy got monetary and technical assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in The Gambia, WHO Regional Office for Africa and WHO head office. The strategy was confirmed and embraced throughout a stakeholder workshop held from 28 to 29 September 2026, combining federal government agents, health specialists, advancement partners, civil society, academic community and other stakeholders.

Dementia is a growing public health obstacle, impacting approximated 57 million individuals worldwide. In The Gambia, designed price quotes recommend that about 3,800 to 4,000 individuals are dealing with dementia, and this might increase to almost 13,000 by 2050. As populations age, the concern is anticipated to increase, highlighting the requirement for more powerful avoidance, early medical diagnosis, care and assistance for afflicted people and their households.

Dementia impacts memory, believing and the capability to perform daily activities. Signs can be misinterpreted for regular aging, postponing medical diagnosis and access to proper assistance. Preconception and mistaken beliefs can even more separate individuals coping with dementia and location extra pressure on their households and caretakers.

The brand-new strategy offers a nationwide structure for resolving these difficulties through public awareness, danger decrease, early detection, medical diagnosis, treatment, care and assistance. It likewise focuses on enhancing the health labor force, enhancing health info and research study, supporting caretakers, and developing systems for coordination, responsibility and tracking. It combines the 7 action locations of the WHO Global Action Plan within 4 nationwide top priorities.

For The Gambia, the strategy develops a chance to move from fragmented reactions towards a more collaborated method that links health services with psychological health, noncommunicable illness, special needs, social defense and healthy aging efforts. Its execution will be very important in guaranteeing that individuals dealing with dementia are acknowledged, treated with self-respect and able to gain access to proper care better to their neighborhoods.

Throughout the WHO African Region, dementia stays an essential however typically under-recognized public health concern. Restricted awareness, preconception, spaces in medical diagnosis and scarcities of specialized services can make it tough for people and households to acquire prompt assistance. Care is likewise often supplied by member of the family, typically with restricted access to details, training and psychosocial support.

By embracing a devoted nationwide strategy, The Gambia is developing a policy structure that can assist bring dementia into nationwide health preparation and enhance collaborated action throughout sectors. Its experience can add to broader local efforts to raise awareness, enhance service shipment and motivate nations to establish actions fit to their own health systems and neighborhoods. As the very first strategy of its kind in the African Region, it likewise provides other nations a useful example to gain from.

Mr. Lamin Dampha, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, stated the strategy brings dementia into the Government’s larger psychological health program, structure on the Mental Health Policy 2025 to 2035, the Mental Health Investment Case and the Mental Health Bill waiting for passage into law. The Permanent Secretary required a whole-of-government effort to provide it. “A nationwide strategy, nevertheless well composed, implies absolutely nothing if it ends up being another file that collects dust on a rack,” the Permanent Secretary stated.

Speaking on behalf of the WHO Representative to The Gambia, Dr D’Almeida Selassi Amah highlighted that the success of the strategy would depend upon equating its concerns into useful enhancements for afflicted individuals and their households. “The real worth of this file will not be determined by its adoption alone, however by its capability to enhance the lives of individuals dealing with dementia and those who take care of them,” he stated.

“Dementia is currently impacting households in The Gambia, yet lots of people stay undiagnosed or unsupported. This strategy offers us a structure to enhance awareness, enhance early recognition and bring care better to neighborhoods, so that households do not need to deal with dementia alone,” stated Jarra Marega, Programme Manager of the National Mental Health Programme and National Technical Lead for the advancement of The Gambia National Dementia Plan.

Execution will need continual federal government management, appropriate resources, partnership amongst sectors and continued engagement with neighborhoods. Health employees will require suitable understanding and abilities to acknowledge dementia, assistance medical diagnosis and offer caring care. Public awareness efforts need to likewise challenge preconception, while caretakers require access to trusted info, counselling and neighborhood assistance.

WHO stays dedicated to supporting The Gambia through technical support, policy assistance, capacity-building, advocacy and collaboration advancement. The strategy lines up with the WHO Global Action Plan on the general public Health Response to Dementia 2017 to 2031, which the World Health Assembly extended in 2025, and supplies a structure for equating worldwide dedications into nationwide action.

As The Gambia moves towards application through 2031, the step of success will be whether the strategy causes earlier acknowledgment, much better access to care, more powerful assistance for caretakers and higher self-respect for individuals coping with dementia. With continual dedication from federal government, neighborhoods, WHO and partners, this turning point can assist advance a more collaborated reaction in The Gambia while adding to efforts to attend to dementia throughout Africa.