The Society of Majid bin Abdulaziz for Development and Social Services and the Saudi Alzheimer Disease Association (SADA) floated more than 10,000 purple balloons at the Jeddah Corniche in celebration of World Alzheimer’s Day.
The campaign was attended by more than 300 volunteers in the awareness campaign, of which 15 groups of volunteers tended to security issues with the help of police.
Other volunteers discussed symptoms of Alzheimers with members of the public and distributed informative brochures and pamphlets to raise awareness about the disease.
Heba Tallab, volunteer coordinator at Majid Sociery, said that cooperation with SADA is not limited to the International Day for Alzheimer’s, but will continue throughout the year. Individuals wishing to volunteer can contact the society.
“We formed the partnership to increase awareness in the community about this disease. The disease affects 35 million individuals globally and this number is expected to reach 115 million by the year 2050 according to the World Health Organization and the German Society for Alzheimer’s. Studies conducted by SADA show that 50,000 men and women suffer from Alzheimer’s in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, 50 percent of people above the age of 80 in the Kingdom show signs of Alzheimer’s. We can channel the efforts of young volunteers to support this important cause,” said Tallab.
“we seek to mobilize community efforts to alleviate the suffering of Alzheimer’s patients through a strategic partnership that unites the Charitable Society for Alzheimer’s Disease. We aim to spread awareness on the disease and its severity, its risks and how it can greatly affect loved ones.”
Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing memory, cognitive and behavior lapses that are severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies and social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time and it is fatal. Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of adult death in the world.
The Alzheimer’s Disease Association held World Alzheimer’s Day in Riyadh last year. The awareness campaign will continue for weeks with the participation of different societies.
Source:http://www.arabnews.com/news/466471