A “growing number” of refugees and migrants are living with dementia as people compelled to move get older, health chiefs warned on Monday.
Experts said people with dementia are “often forgotten in a crisis” as war, poverty and climate change push millions of people to flee their homes. They also struggle to get health care in a foreign country and often lack understanding of their condition.
The number of over-60s living outside their home countries has almost doubled in the past three decades, from 25.5 million in 1990 to 48.2 million in 2020, a report by the World Health Organisation said. That means more migrants are at risk of a disease that typically affects people in their sixties and older.
That increase has been “particularly rapid” in areas including western Asia – a term the UN uses for the Middle East. About a third of the world's refugees come from Syria and Afghanistan.
Although there is no cure for dementia, according to some estimates almost half of cases could be prevented by addressing risk factors such as smoking, diabetes and air pollution. While evidence is patchy on whether migrants are at particular risk, the WHO says these prevention strategies are made harder when people have to upend their lives.
Dementia has been estimated to affect more than 55 million people and cost the world economy more than $1 trillion. Although exact figures are missing, the money needed to look after unwell migrants is often a political sore point raised by anti-immigrant parties in rich countries.
“Broader shifts such as population ageing, food insecurity, climate change and conflict are leading to more refugees and migrants, including those of older age. Sadly, many of these older migrants also have dementia,” said Jerome Salomon, an assistant WHO director general.
“People living with dementia are often forgotten in crisis. They also face discrimination and a struggle to access health care services in their new countries.”
The WHO's 146-page report said the issue of migrants with dementia was one of “growing scientific interest”. It said it was “increasingly evident” that migrant and forced displacement could affect “many aspects” of dementia care.
“The available evidence confirms that, due to global ageing, a growing number of refugees and migrants live with dementia in host countries,” it said. “The health needs of refugees and migrants living with dementia in emergency situations should be recognised and addressed.”
While some patient registers showed migrants at lower risk of dementia, clinical trials revealed the opposite – suggesting not enough cases are spotted, said Marco Canevelli, from the department of human neuroscience at Sapienza University, Rome, at a WHO briefing on Monday.
“This discrepancy likely reflects an under-diagnosis of dementia, and poor access to health care resources for migrants and refugees,” he said.
“There is increasing evidence that a lack of knowledge and poor health literacy concerning dementia are significant barriers to accessing services and obtaining a diagnosis,” said Mr Canevelli. “Evidence shows that several barriers within services and health care systems can hinder access to diagnosis and care for migrants and refugees with dementia.
“Care-givers of migrants and refugees with dementia encounter specific and significant challenges in providing care. These challenges arise from language barriers, limited understanding and knowledge of dementia, difficulties in navigating the HC system in a new country, and a lack of resources and specialised professionals such as interpreters and cultural mediators.”
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
liverpool youngsters
Ki-Jana Hoever
The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.
Herbie Kane
Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.
Luis Longstaff
Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.
Yasser Larouci
An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.
Adam Lewis
Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.
Scorecard
Scotland 220
K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35
UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs
C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
