F10 FORUM

Facing the challenge of Alzheimer’s and other dementias

Friday, 30.09.2016 | 09:00 - 11:30 | Room

Organised by International Forum Gastein supported by an unrestricted educational grant from MSD

Alzheimer’s disease is clearly on our demographic horizon. Are our health systems ready to face this unprecedented challenge? How are we preparing to ensure appropriate prevention, treatment and care, and inclusion?

Today, we can already identify clear challenges and elaborate potential solutions given the epidemiological evidence, on-going reforms aimed at integrating health and social care, and a new wave of potential treatments. But the challenges posed by dementia will test the strength of our governance model and raise societal issues well beyond our health systems. From the technical to the societal, our panellists will help shape a better understanding of the likely scenarios for the coming years and the type of solutions being contemplated.

“Dementia is a costly and heart-breaking epidemic with an immense impact, medically, psychologically, emotionally, and financially.”
- Margaret Chan, DG WHO at the G8 Dementia Summit on 11 December 2013 -

Governments and public health authorities increasingly understand the challenge that dementia will pose to our society and have put it on the agenda of high-level meetings during recent years. Leading European countries have implemented national plans and the EU has funded a number of large programmes promoting research across all aspects of dementia.

Part 1 | Measuring the challenge

Helen Rochford-Brennan, European Working Group of People with Dementia

Tim Muir, Policy Analyst, OECD

Tania Dussey-Cavassini, Ambassador for Global Health, Vice-Director General, Federal Office of Public Health, Switzerland

Part 2 | Where should we put our hopes and priorities?

Peter Dal-Bianco, Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, Clinic for Memory Disorders, Vienna General Hospital

Panel discussion

Antonia Croy, President, Alzheimer Austria

Siobhan O'Connor, Lecturer, University of Manchester and Young Forum Gastein Scholar

Elizabeth Hanson, Vice-President, Eurocarers; Research Director, Swedish Family Care Competence Centre

Wiebe Cnossen, Into D'mentia

Part 3 | Towards a dementia friendly society - Hands on workshops

With the support of panelists, participants will be tasked to develop key policy solutions for a particular challenge rough a dialogue with the audience on an ideal situation and potential barriers and facilitators.

Part 4 | A call to action for the EU

Karin Kadenbach, Member of the European Parliament (S&D, Austria)

Herta Adam, Deputy Head of UnitDG Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), European Commission

Facilitation

Matthias Wismar, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

Boris Azaïs, Director, Public Policy Europe and Canada, MSD