Ibiza became this Thursday the epicenter of scientific, social and political debate on Alzheimer’s disease, with the opening of the XI edition of the CEAFA National Alzheimer’s Congress and the XV Ibero-American Alzheimer’s Congress. Her Majesty Queen Sofia, honorary president of the Spanish Confederation of Alzheimer’s and other Dementias(CEAFA), was in charge of opening this international meeting being held at the Ibiza Fairgrounds (FECOEV) until Saturday, November 8.
“Breaking Borders” is the motto of this edition that seeks to join efforts between Europe and Latin America to face one of the main social and health challenges of the 21st century: neurodegenerative dementias.
An international forum with more than 1,200,000 reasons
Spain has 1.2 million people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, a figure that rises to more than five million if family caregivers are included. A reality that Queen Sofia did not overlook, thanking all the participants for their commitment in the search for solutions to curb this disease.
CEAFA, the Consell de Ibiza, Alzheimer Iberoamerica (AIB) and the Association of Relatives of Alzheimer patients of Ibiza and Formentera have joined forces to turn the island into a hub for the exchange of knowledge, science and humanism. You can consult the complete program of the Congress here.
Institutional commitment: Ibiza, headquarters with soul
The president of the Consell de Ibiza, Vicent Marí, stressed the key role of the island in this meeting: “Understanding dementia is not only a medical challenge, but also a social and emotional one”. He added that Ibiza is an ideal place to “reflect and put dementia at the center of social policies“, recalling the ongoing work of the Alzheimer’s Family Association of the island, recently recognized for its work in the social and health field.
For his part, the mayor of Ibiza, Rafael Triguero, stressed that “moving forward means uniting science with empathy” in his speech during the opening ceremony.
An international call to break down the barriers of Alzheimer’s disease
From a global perspective, the president of Alzheimer Iberoamerica, Bertha Dora Quezada, underscored the challenge of understanding cognitive impairment and finding an effective formula to prevent or reverse the disease.
Along these lines, the president of CEAFA, Mariló Almagro, appealed to eliminate the barriers that still exist around this condition and celebrated the presence of Queen Sofia, who, she said, “strengthens the work of our entire associative community“.
