Alzheimer's Disease International

22/05/2026

At the 2026 World Health Assembly in Geneva, ADI Acting CEO, Chris Lynch joined Dr Tarun Dua, WHO’s Unit Head, Neurological, Sensory and Oral Conditions; Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, for a conversation on the future of dementia policy and its intersection with prevention, care and innovation.

🔴 Download the 2026 edition of From Plan to Impact now: https://www.alzint.org/resource/from-plan-to-impact-ix/
🔴 Watch the full recorded conversation with WHO: https://youtu.be/DpdIhShg5DY

The discussion marked the launch of ADI’s From Plan to Impact 2026 report, a concise infographic-led snapshot tracking how governments worldwide are progressing on national dementia plans and commitments under the WHO Global Action Plan on Dementia.

Throughout the conversation, Chris Lynch and Dr Tarun Dua explored crucial insights including:

🔴 The renewed momentum created by the extension of the WHO Global Action Plan to 2031.
🔴 Why integration across dementia, noncommunicable diseases, mental health, and ageing strategies is essential for real progress.
🔴 The implementation gap between policy commitments and meaningful action on the ground.
🔴 The importance of strengthening community healthcare systems and workforce capacity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
🔴 How dementia risk reduction is becoming a critical entry point for governments and policymakers.
🔴 The urgent need to ensure innovation, diagnostics, and treatments are accessible and equitable worldwide.
🔴 Why the voices of people living with dementia and carers must be embedded throughout policy, research, and service development.

The conversation also highlighted WHO’s ongoing work to update its dementia risk reduction guidelines, alongside the growing international momentum created by the inclusion of dementia in the 2025 UN Political Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health.

21/05/2026

This morning at the , ADI Acting CEO Chris Lynch opened proceedings for GCOA/Lilly side event, “Closing the Innovation and Access Gap: Lessons From Across Disease Areas for Alzheimer’s Access and Reimbursement.”

Setting the scene for the session, Chris highlighted that innovation around dementia is outpacing policy and practice, with governments and healthcare systems struggling to keep abreast with diagnostic changes, new treatments and a challenge to the very definition of a diagnosis of dementia – is it at the point of symptomatic diagnosis, or 20 years earlier at the start of pathology, or even earlier when risk factors can be modified?

The roundtable shared insights from other conditions, that have previously had to overcome many of the barriers that dementia experiences, such as low awareness, stigma and adapting to novel treatments and diagnostics. Strokes, HIV/AIDS, Cancer and their associated economics were all represented in a truly enlightening, and often difficult, conversation.

At the roundtable, Chris handed out copied of ADI’s new ‘From Plan to Impact’ progress report against the targets of the Global Action Plan on Dementia.

Your free digital copy can be downloaded here: https://www.alzint.org/resource/from-plan-to-impact-ix/

20/05/2026

On 20 May, ADI Acting CEO Chris Lynch joined a WHO Foundation & Lilly side event at the World Health Assembly focused on building sustainable pathways for early diagnosis and care.

During the discussion, Chris highlighted the importance of earlier diagnosis, the growing importance of new diagnostics and the need for health systems to adapt at speed to respond to the availability of treatments and risk reduction strategies, alongside more traditional post diagnostic support.

On the day that we launched our new progress report, From Plan to Impact, Chris emphasised how vital it is to galvanise momentum towards national dementia plans; plans that reflect the innovation and developments in diagnosis, treatment, care and support.

20/05/2026

At the World Health Organization’s World Health Assembly, ADI’s Acting CEO, Chris Lynch and WHO’s Unit Head, Neurological, Sensory and Oral Conditions; Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, Dr Tarun Dua, held a short fireside chat to launch the 2026 edition of From Plan to Impact, where they discussed the key findings of the report and how we can advance forward dementia policy across the world.

This report is seeking to track Member States’ progress towards implementing the targets of the Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to dementia.

One year on from the extension to the Global Action Plan, progress remains gradual with the total of National Dementia Plans rising slightly since 2025 from 45 to 47. This translates to 32.2 percent of the 146 Member State target, and only 24.2 percent of all 194 Member States who agreed to implement plans in 2017.

Despite the slow increase in overall plan numbers, ADI applauds the governments of the Maldives, Ukraine, Poland, Argentina, and Peru for passing their first national dementia plans since May 2025 and we are further encouraged by the 20 countries (18 Member States) who are currently developing plans. The breadth of geographical, economic, and societal differences between these countries is proof that dementia concerns us all, and that all states can – and should – do something for their citizens affected by the condition.

The Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia remains the most effective framework for governments to build comprehensive dementia plans that address the multifaceted challenges inherent to this condition and ensure their national health systems are ready to address it.

ADI thanks our members for their efforts to advance dementia policy globally and for their contributions to this report.

The forthcoming interview with Dr Tarun Dua will be available to ADI’s global network soon via our digital channels soon.

Access the From Plan to Impact report: https://www.alzint.org/resource/from-plan-to-impact-ix/

19/05/2026

ADI Head of Communications and Policy, Lewis Arthurton, has delivered a crucial statement on WHO’s work in health emergencies.

In his statement, Lewis highlighted the impact of health emergencies and infectious disease on those living with dementia.

“Those living with dementia are disproportionately impacted by infectious diseases, as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Canada, dementia was reported on 36% of COVID-related death certificates in 2020; in Australia, 41%, up to 28% and 20% in the UK and Italy respectively.”

The statement ended by calling on the WHO and Member States to be mindful of the specific needs of people living with dementia and for better integration of local dementia association expertise into humanitarian responses and infectious disease outbreaks.

19/05/2026

This week, ADI is attending 79th World Health Assembly.

The World Health Assembly is a global gathering of representatives from all 194 Member States of the World Health Organization, taking place in May each year. WHO Member States use this meeting to debate key resolutions and recommendations for global health policies that have been put forward by the WHO Executive Board (a body of 34 technically trained individuals that represent a collection of Member States).

Last year, World Health Assembly extended the WHO Global Action Plan on the public health response to dementia. One year on. ADI will observe the progress that has been made by WHO’s member states towards this crucial policy framework to improve the lives of those living with dementia and their carers. Time for progress is now if we are to meet the growing global health challenge of dementia, by 2040 dementia will become the 3rd leading cause of death globally.

Stay tuned for more updates from ADI, including the launch of our From Plan to Impact briefing, during this crucial congress of WHO member states and civil society organisations.

15/05/2026

On 14 May, Puerto Rican legislator Odalys González, together with Wilberto Pagán, the President of the Alzheimer’s Association Puerto Rico, announced the introduction of House Bill 1277, a new legislative initiative that would complement the country’s existing 2026–2030 Alzheimer’s and Dementia Strategic Plan by establishing concrete and enforceable protocols for hospitals, police, government agencies, and healthcare providers. The bill focuses on differentiated care, specialised training, voluntary identification systems, and coordinated public response mechanisms for people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

ADI congratulates Alzheimer’s Association Puerto Rico, our national member association for Puerto Rico for this milestone.

You can read the Puerto Rican National Dementia Plan on the ADI website: https://www.alzint.org/what-we-do/policy/dementia-plans/

12/05/2026

12/05/2026

Roche has announced that Elecsys® pTau217, a blood test developed in collaboration with Eli Lilly and designed to both rule in and rule out Alzheimer’s pathology in people experiencing cognitive symptoms, has received a Conformité Européenne (CE) mark, for the European Economic Area (EEA).

This follows news that earlier in the week, Fujirebio Europe N.V. obtained a CE certificate of the Lumipulse G pTau 217 Plasma assay, also a blood test designed to measure Tau phosphorylated at threonine 217 (pTau 217) in human plasma.

CE marks signify that products sold in the EEA have been assessed to meet high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements.

Leanr more on our website: https://www.alzint.org/news-events/news/new-alzheimers-blood-tests-to-detect-alzheimers-pathology-gain-european-conformity-mark/