| Syazwani Hj Rosli |
THERE is a need to promote awareness on dementia and reduce the stigma among Bruneians while highlighting practical and innovative ways to make a difference, said guest of honour Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Siti Rozaimeriyanti binti Dato Seri Laila Jasa Haji Abdul Rahman.
She made the statement during the ‘Memory Walk and Fun Run Brunei 2018’ at Menteri Besar Recreational Park yesterday.
Newly launched association ‘demensia Brunei’ (dB) in collaboration with the Health Promotion Centre, Ministry of Health and Fitness Zone Brunei organised the event in conjunction with World Dementia Month (WDM) 2018.
“Two out of every three people have little or no understanding of dementia in their countries. The impact of World Dementia is growing but the stigma surrounding dementia remains a global concern, requiring global and local action,” said Yang Berhormat Siti Rozaimeriyanti. “Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. In terms of population percentage, Brunei is ranked among the top with dementia in Asia. Let’s help this country to be among the healthiest in Asia and work towards making Brunei an active ageing and dementia-friendly nation by 2035.”
“The association has local trainers delivering workshops using the curriculum from Alzheimer’s Disease International Dementia Care Skills ‘Train The Trainers’ programme,” said dB President Dr Teo Shyh Poh. “By improving the public’s understanding of dementia and their skills to manage this condition, we aspire for Brunei to be dementia-friendly.”
“A dementia-friendly community means inclusion. There is a need to engage persons with dementia in community activities,” said Honorary Advisor of the association Datin Jacqueline Wong. “The Atria Shopping Gallery in Petaling Jaya (Malaysia) demonstrated a guiding principle by initiating a joint CSR collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation Malaysia to pilot the first dementia-friendly community corner.”
“As the population increases and ages, we as individuals and organisations need to be aware of these changes and adapt the way we relate to these members accordingly,” she added.
Meanwhile, local entrepreneur and celebrity Wu Chun will bring dementia to the attention of the people in Brunei as dB’s ambassador.
“I am honoured to be dB’s ambassador. I want everyone to be aware of dementia,” he said. “It is very important that we unite against dementia and work together to create a positive change. We need to change the way people think, act and talk about the condition.”
“There is no prevention and there is no cure – for now. But, we can all take ownership of our own health, by choosing and deciding to live better and make better meal choices,” he added.
Based on the estimates of Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), there are up to 2,000 people with dementia in Brunei.
The World Health Organization and ADI projected that there will be approximately 11,000 people with dementia in Brunei by 2030. This requires collaborative support and collective action to affect change. The walk/run is an initiative to raise the profile of dementia and the importance of leading an active, healthy lifestyle to reduce risk of developing dementia.
Physical activity, mental stimulation and social interaction have been shown to reduce the risk of developing dementia and to slow down the progression of cognitive decline.
dB was officially registered in March 2018 with a mission of having a dementia-friendly community.