[NAIROBI] Dementia is becoming a major public health issue in Africa as its population ages.

In 2015, Sub-Saharan Africa had more than two million people living with dementia. By 2050, this figure is expected to reach nearly eight million, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International.

Despite this, there remains a huge gap in research and evidence on dementia in the region.

Scientists say genetic research is key to addressing gaps in dementia. They also stress the importance of collaboration among researchers, the private sector and governments, along with new technologies for early detection, and community engagement.

“If we collaborate, we will have much more power than if we act alone,” says George Vradenburg, founding chairman of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative.

“It’s only when we get together that we are going to get the maximum speed and impact of the developments occurring in the dementia field.”

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a number of brain diseases that cause a decline in memory, thinking, and ability to carry out everyday tasks.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common kind, accounting for up to 70 per cent of cases globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO estimates that more than 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, with around 10 million new cases diagnosed each year.

About 60 per cent of cases are in low- and middle-income countries, where populations are ageing rapidly.

Vradenburg says Africa’s diverse genetics and environmental factors could offer valuable insights into dementia.

“The microbiome [community of bacteria and other microorganisms] in Africa is different, the environmental stresses in Africa are different … the genetics of Africans is very diverse and is going to teach us a lot,” Vradenburg told SciDev.Net at a conference on dementia in Nairobi last month.

One of the main topics being discussed at The Future of Dementia in Africa conference was the relevance of African genetic variation in dementia research.

Africa has higher levels of genetic diversity than any other continent, providing great opportunity to investigate dementia-related genetic variables.

In 2023, a study found that over a third of people of African ancestry carried a genetic risk factor for Parkinson’s – often a precursor to dementia.

Researchers anticipate that similar studies on African populations could lead to important findings on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

In many African societies, dementia is frequently misunderstood and stigmatised, owing to beliefs attributing the disorder to witchcraft or other supernatural causes. This can delay diagnosis and treatment.

To address this issue, Kenyan healthcare professionals collaborated with community leaders, traditional healers, religious healers, and clergy.

According to David Ndetei, founding director of the Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health, this collaboration has been pivotal in decreasing stigma and improving access to care.

“We came together and showed the traditional healers that we respected their views … but we also stressed that there are other views, such as the medical view, and in the process, we developed dialogue,” Ndetei told SciDev.Net.

As a result, traditional healers now refer patients to clinicians, helping more people access professional dementia care, he said.

New technologies are being explored to detect dementia early in African populations.

Biostatistician Jim Todd, and his team at the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences in Mwanza, Tanzania, are pioneering a digital tool that analyses changes in voice patterns to identify potential signs of dementia. By comparing voice data with blood biomarkers, they aim to detect early cognitive decline before symptoms become apparent.

“We’re looking at 65 priority features,” said Todd.

“The next step is to collect a second round of voice data from the same people to see changes that have happened over six months to a year,” he explained.

“We’re then going to relate those changes to the markers from blood samples.”

This innovative approach could offer a cost-effective solution for early dementia detection in Africa, the researcher says.

In addition to technological innovations, dementia specialists are also looking at holistic approaches to brain health.

Razak Gyasi, an associate research scientist at the African Population and Health Research Centre, emphasised the role of social inclusion and lifestyle factors such as healthy eating and exercise in improving mental health in older adults.

Gyasi’s research in Ghana shows that traditional practices like massage therapy, herbal remedies, and music therapy are being used to support brain health.

“Africa doesn’t have to solely rely on Western medicine to address mental health in older adults,” he said during his presentation at the Nairobi conference, adding: “Physical activity, social inclusion, diet, and good sleep quality benefit brain function.

Collaboration among researchers, businesses, and governments are vital as dementia cases in Africa rise, according to Vradenburg, of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative.

He believes such partnerships could result in advances in diagnostic and therapeutic processes, and advocates for the development of national dementia programmes to drive these advances.

“If we collaborate, we will have much more power than if we act alone,” he told the conference, which brought together researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals.

He cited HIV/AIDS as an example where African discoveries and research have led to great advancements.

This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.