Celebrating 40 years of ADI

This article was originally published on the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) website.

This year, 2024 marks the 40th year of Alzheimer’s Disease International and our work to secure a future that includes greater awareness of the condition, increased access to care, post-diagnostic support,and emerging treatments as well as a achieving a world without stigma. ADI invites our global community to celebrate with us on this momentous occasion with thanks to all who have been with us on this journey over four decades.

This year, in 2024, ADI celebrates its 40th anniversary! Throughout this time, we have built a global collective of Alzheimer’s and dementia associations that work hard and collaboratively to bring dementia into the international community’s focus. Together, we have achieved global recognition and priority for what is undoubtedly one of the biggest health and care challenges of our time, leading to the creation of the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on the public health response to dementia in 2017.

ADI, along with our members, continues with our vital work to secure a future that includes greater awareness of the condition, increased access to care, post-diagnostic support and emerging treatments.

Ahead of this year’s global conference, ADI was proud to unveil a special logo to mark the milestone of 40 years of ADI. This emblem displays the bright spectrum of colours found in the logos of our 100+ member associations but also represents the multicultural, multi-ethnic, and broad base of nationalities and languages that make up the rich tapestry of ADI, a truly global voice on dementia, made possible by the voices and strength of our members.

On the eve of this year’s conference, ADI member associations convened for a very special occasion, marked with a birthday cake featuring the 40th-anniversary logo. The cake was ceremoniously cut by the newly appointed Vice Chair of ADI, Meera Pattabiraman, and ADI Honorary Vice President, Nori Graham.

During Plenary 2, ’40 years of ADI: global and national policy landscape’, ADI CEO Paola Barbarino summarised ADI’s contributions over the course of the 40 years.

“40 years of groundbreaking conferences, bringing you the latest global advances, discussing them together, challenging us and celebrating us; 40 years of Alzheimer Universities, strengthening civil society and making small organisations able to sit with the press and their governments and make change happen; 40 years of World Alzheimer’s Months going from strength to strength; 40 years of groundbreaking reports. 40 years of being friends, advocates, loving and caring people”

And ended with a stark reminder of the challenges that loom ahead:

“ADI has advocated to have a Global Action Plan on dementia at WHO level for more than a decade. Once the plan was approved in 2017, we have worked very hard for it to become a national reality. However, for our 40 years of existence, we have only 48 national dementia plans to show for it.”

Renewing ADI’s urgent call for an extension to the Global Action Plan on demenita.

ADI would like to thank our founding members: Alzheimer’s Association (US), Alzheimer’s Society (UK), Alzheimer’s Society Canada, and Dementia Australia, who, four decades ago, had the foresight and vision for an organisation that would advocate for international action on dementia and coordinate member Alzheimer’s and dementia associations across the world to be the global voice on dementia.

Now with over 100 member associations worldwide, ADI continues this vital work, from then to now and onward into the future.

In the video below you can view a selection of posters that ADI developed in celebration of this momentous occasion, see our action through the years and tell us which posters are a highlight. We thank our entire global community for being with us on this journey and sharing in these memories.