Brunei Darussalam had 1,574 cases of dementia in 2019 and the figure is expected to rise by 365 per cent to 7,317 by 2025, according to Lancet.
The report was shared by Head of Health Promotion Centre (HPC) Dr Hajah Norhayati binti Haji Mohd Kassim during a briefing on World Dementia Month 2023 at the centre yesterday.
Lancet also identified dementia as one of the fastest growing public health problems with people living with the condition doubling from 20.2 million in 1990 to 43.8 million in 2016.
The event, organised by HPC of the Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with Demensia Brunei and Ihtimam Group from the 34th Executive Development Programme for Middle Management Officers (34th EDPMMO), was attended by Deputy Permanent Secretary (Professional) at the MoH Dr Ang Swee Hui.
Dr Hajah Norhayati said dementia is a general term used to mean impaired ability to remember, think or make a decision, interfering with activities of daily living. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.
“Dementia mostly affects older adults but it is not a part of normal ageing,” she said.
“Dementia is caused by a variety of diseases causing damage to brain cells and is related to individual lifestyles. Some of the risk factors include high body mass index (BMI), high fasting plasma glucose, unhealthy eating, sedentary lifestyle and smoking.
“These are similar risk factors for major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that the Sultanate is fighting. All these risk factors are preventable. Dementia risk reduction actions are aligned with HPC’s aim of promoting a healthy lifestyle.”
Celebrated in September annually, this year’s World Alzheimer’s/Dementia Month theme is ‘Never too early, never too late’. It emphasises on the crucial role of risk reduction in halting, delaying or potentially preventing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Dr Hajah Norhayati also announced that Ihtimam Group is partnering with HPC and Demensia Brunei by providing educational material to public and private sectors.
Geriatric Consultant at Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital and Demensia Brunei President Dr Teo Shyh Poh said, “Dementia is a big concern for Brunei as the Sultanate is rapidly ageing and has a high NCD rate, which are risk factors.”
He said Demensia Brunei, in collaboration with HPC, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, carried out a dementia screening project where 2,000 individuals were screened in six months.
From the total figure, over 1,350 individuals aged 50 and older have risk factors where two-third had high blood pressure, half had high cholesterol and one-third had diabetes. In terms of symptoms which could mean dementia, over 40 per cent misplaced things, one-third had memory loss, a quarter had visuospatial difficulties and one-fifth had mood or behaviour changes. Based on short memory test, 14.5 per cent had possible cognitive impairment.
“If the onset of dementia can be delayed by five years, we can reduce the prevalence by about 50 per cent in 2050. This means we can reduce our risk of developing dementia and enjoy productive and healthy lives for longer,” he said.
Dr Teo acknowledged Ihtimam Group’s initiative to meet stakeholders to raise awareness on dementia including giving talks to officials from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Ministry of Development (MoD) and Ministry of Education (MoE). He also recognised Wise and Well – comprising UBD third-year medical students – efforts to spend time at Senior Citizen Activity Centres to carry out dementia risk reduction activities.
Dr Teo revealed that Demensia Brunei with support from MoH, MCYS and Pantai Jerudong Specialist Centre (PJSC) will host Alzheimer’s Disease International Asia Pacific Regional Conference from October 27 to 29 at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas.
Ihtimam Group Project Lead Mohammad Hisham bin Haji Suhailee said his team organised a series of roadshows at ICC and Public Works Department (JKR) headquarters in collaboration with Wise and Well and supported by Demensia Brunei.
He said the community outreach programme stemmed from team members’ personal experiences with dementia.
The team believes in fostering a more inclusive and supportive community for individuals with dementia while also dismantling stigma associated with it.
The briefing concluded with a presentation of posters and banners for World Dementia Month 2023 to representatives of public and private sectors by Dr Ang. – James Kon
