World Health Organization
Alzheimer's Disease International is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), the special agency of the United Nations that leads the worldwide alliance for Health for All.
In 2001, the Director General of WHO selected mental health as the theme of World Health Day. The selection of that theme recognises the impact of mental disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and the fact that despite growing knowledge, little of this knowledge benefits the populations most affected.
ADI delivered a statement at the official launch of World Health Day. Nori Graham, then Chairman of ADI, took the opportunity to remind people that dementia is a global problem and that two out of three people with dementia live in developing countries. You can read Nori's speech here. ADI also assisted the WHO with the dementia component of the World Health Report, launched in June 2001.
Alzheimer's Disease International collaborated with the WHO to produce the 'Help for caregivers' booklet, which ADI and the WHO distribute. WHO also supported the launch of World Alzheimer's Day™ in 1994. ADI has been in official relations with the WHO since 1996.
José Manoel Bertolote of WHO gave a talk at ADI's 2002 conference in Barcelona about their work in the area of dementia, in which he praised the quality of information and support that ADI provides to WHO.
ADI and the WHO worked together to achieve funding for 10/66 Dementia Research Group's Three Continents program to develop and evaluate feasible community interventions for caregivers of people with dementia.