September is World Alzheimer’s Month!

September is World Alzheimer’s Month!

September 2022 marked the 11th global World Alzheimer’s Month™, an international campaign to raise awareness and challenge stigma.

Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Association of Ghana (Alzheimer’s Ghana) hosted

World Alzheimer`s Day Conference with the theme- ‘Know Alzheimers, Know Dementia’

Conference: Thursday, 22nd September 2022 10:30am –2pm
Venue: University of Ghana Medical Center Logon, Accra

The impact of September’s campaign is growing, but the stigmatization and misinformation that surrounds dementia remains a global problem.

Worried About Your Memory?

Worried About Your Memory?

Memory problems are not just signs of old age, there is more to that. Everybody can be forgetful, but if memory loss is something that is worrying you or someone you know, CONTACT US.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.  Dementia is a collective name for conditions in which progressive degeneration of the brain affects memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion.  Symptoms may include:

  • loss of memory
  • difficulty in finding the right words or understanding what people are saying
  • difficulty in performing previously routine tasks
  • personality and mood changes

 

Protect The Weak Minds

Protect The Weak Minds

As a result of the little awareness of dementia in the community, people with dementia are being stigmatized, labelled and isolated by the relatives and the community. Some religious groups put people with dementia into bands and chains with the aim of treating the disease. In some areas, due to lack of awareness, people with dementia are burnt to death. A recent case occurred in tema about 50km from Hohoe where a 72 year- old woman was burnt to death by one evangelist, a school teacher and two traders. She traveled from her village to her son in the city not knowing that her son had relocated. She then got confused and was seen roaming around on the streets exhibiting a strange behaviour. As a result she was confronted by her killers and forced to confess to be a witch and was later burnt to death. When her son was interviewed by the news paper (The Daily Graphic), he said; his mother is not a witch however she showed some signs of forgetfulness and old age. Below is the picture of the burnt woman.
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They Are NOT Witches

They Are NOT Witches

There are currently around 1,000 women living in 6 of the witches’ camps in Ghana’s northern region.

Many of them are elderly women who have been accused of inflicting death, misfortune, and calamity on their neighbors and villages through sorcery, witchcraft, or “juju,” a term used throughout West Africa.

The women enjoy a certain degree of protection within these camps, located some distance from their communities in which they could be tortured, beaten to death, or lynched, but the conditions of the camps are often poor. The “accused witches,” as they are sometimes referred to, live in tiny thatched mud huts, and have limited access to food and must fetch water from nearby streams and creeks.

Most of them were sent there due to symptoms such as memory loss, forgetfulness, or disorientation,
which had been misinterpreted to be wichcraft.

Don’t Worsen Their Trauma

Don’t Worsen Their Trauma

An elderly woman who lived in Nabule witch camp in Gushegu a district in the Northern Region for the past 18 years, told the story of how she was forced to leave her village. Dressed in a headscarf, faded T-shirt, and cotton skirt.

Her husband had died unexpectedly and after the village soothsayer had said she caused the death of the child, her family tried to make her confess to murdering him through sorcery. When she refused to admit she was beaten with an old bicycle chain, and later her husband’s family members rubbed pepper sauce into her eyes and open wounds.

It was later realized that she exhibited signs of dementia such as waking up early, increased anxiety, difficulty in remembering, among others.

Education and Sensitization Programme for Aggrey Memorial College, Cape Coast

Alzheimer`s Ghana and Alter team from University of Emory and University of Georgia, USA delivered a nationwide awareness education and sensitization in schools and colleges. The Executive Director of Alzheimer`s Ghana, Mr Venance Dey used the opportunity to call on students and teachers to identify people living with dementia and help refer them to the appropriate hospitals and health facilities for care and treatment. Dr Fayron Epps from Emory University also advised students and teaches to adopt habits and practices that will help improve their brain health.

Alzheimer`s Ghana and Alter Mission extended education and awareness to Nursing Training College, Ho in the Volta Region.

A collaboration drive between Alzheimer`s Ghana and Alter Mission comprising a team from The Emory University and Georgia University all in USA visited the Nursing Training College and educated the students on dementia and alzheimer`s disease. During the programme, emphasis was laid on identifying the signs and symptoms of disease early and helping to treat and manage the cases effectively. The team also encouraged students to stand against any form of discrimination and abuse of persons suffering from the sickness.

Alzheimer`s Ghana met the Former President, His Excellency, John Agyekum Kufuor

Former President, His Excellency, President John Agyekum Kufuor lauded the awareness and education campaign of Alzheimer`s Ghana team in the country He also encouraged the organization to keep up the good work on advocacy and education on dementia in the country . This happened when the organization led by its Co-founder Mr Venance Dey paid a courtesy call on him as part of their awareness activities to mark World Alzheimers Day 2022 Celebration in Ghana. At the meeting the President of the Board Dr Dennis Bortey also spoke on the disease its causes symptoms and it`s management needed to improve lives of victims.

Alzheimer’s Ghana delivering a talk on Dementia for elderly in Tema-Accra.

Alzheimer’s Ghana team visited a group of elders in Tema to deliver a talk on Dementia. Discussions were centered on the signs and symptoms of dementia and other related disorders, their diagnosis, the role of government and the civil society in combating and managing it in Ghana.