Relevant stakeholders in health sector have canvased for early diagnosis of people living with dementia stressing that the procedure if taken seriously will not only eliminate stigma and discrimination surrounding dementia but will help to build confidence on the treatment and recovery.

They further called for awareness and improved community support for people living with dementia and their families adding that a diagnosis can open access to treatment, care, support and opportunities for individuals and families to plan for the future.

The call was made during a round table workshop in Abakaliki organized by the Nutrition for Better Economy, Gender, Lifestyle and Agricultural Foundation (NEEGLAR Foundation) to marked 2026 World Alzheimer’s Day, the foundation.

Under the theme “The Earlier You Know, The More You Can Do: A Dementia Diagnosis Matters” the foundation insisted that increased awareness, early diagnosis and improved community support for people living with dementia and their families become essential especially now it been attributed to witchcraft, punishment or merely regarded as an inevitable part of ageing.

The 2026 campaign Guardian obtained was coordinated globally by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), focuses on tackling stigma and discrimination surrounding dementia while highlighting the benefits of timely diagnosis.

According to ADI, a diagnosis can open access to treatment, care, support and opportunities for individuals and families to plan for the future.

Speaking during the commemoration, the Executive Director of NEEGLAR Foundation, Mrs Chinenye Azu Udu, said dementia should be understood as a medical condition rather than being attributed to witchcraft, punishment or merely regarded as an inevitable part of ageing.

Mrs Udu said memory loss and other persistent changes in thinking, behaviour and everyday functioning should not be ignored, stressing the importance of seeking professional medical assessment.

“Memory matters,” she said, adding that “dementia is not witchcraft. It is not a punishment for sins, and it is not simply a normal part of ageing.”

She explained that dementia affects memory, thinking and everyday life, while Alzheimer’s disease remains the most common cause of dementia.

According to her, NEEGLAR Foundation believes that public awareness should translate into practical action, noting that the organisation has been taking dementia education into communities, training Community Health Extension Workers, conducting sensitisation activities and supporting ongoing data collection across Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Izzi and Ohaukwu Local Government Areas.

Mrs Udu said the Foundation was further using the 2026 World Alzheimer’s Day observance to promote memory screening and nutrition screening, stressing that healthy ageing requires attention to both cognitive and physical wellbeing.

She noted that early recognition of changes in memory and behaviour could create opportunities for individuals and their families to seek appropriate professional guidance, understand available support and make informed plans.

“Seek help early,” she urged, emphasising the need to replace myths with knowledge, stigma with compassion and silence with open conversations about dementia.

She further assured older persons that their wellbeing, dignity and memories remain important.

She expressed appreciation to organisations and institutions supporting the Foundation’s dementia awareness efforts, particularly the Chijioke Mercy Foundation, Ebonyi State Ministry of Health, Ebonyi State Ministry of Information and State Orientation, Dietitians Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi State Chapter, and Assemblies of God Church, Orokeonuoha.

In their goodwill messages Mr. Emeka Ogazi of Chijioke Mercy Foundation, Goodness Mgbaja of CIRDOC Nigeria, and other health experts thanked NEEGLAR Foundation for their interventions and pledged their partnership to further enlighten people on the Dementia.

They also emphasised the need for healthy and balanced diets that will improve mental health, especially among the elderly.

“The 2026 campaign places particular emphasis on early or timely diagnosis because knowing what is happening can allow individuals and families to access relevant information, support and care, and make important decisions while the person living with dementia can still participate fully in those decisions”.

Health authorities also stress that dementia is not an inevitable part of normal ageing, although the condition becomes more common with advancing age. They stressed that Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.

According to them, the 2026 campaign seeks to encourage people to pay attention to persistent changes in memory, thinking, behaviour or ability to perform familiar activities and to seek appropriate medical assessment rather than relying on assumptions or myths.

For NEEGLAR Foundation, the World Alzheimer’s Day observance provided an opportunity to bring the message closer to communities and emphasise the connection between awareness, nutrition, healthy ageing, screening and access to appropriate care.

The event which was attended by many elderly people from different parts of Ebonyi State, persons living with disabilities, health practitioners among others, featured lecturers, interactive sessions, memory and vital signs check.