Dr Nicholas Baamlong, Plateau State Commissioner for Health, has described dementia as a disease, not a curse, and urged greater public awareness, early diagnosis, and improved care for affected persons.
Baamlong made the statement on Tuesday in Jos while briefing journalists to commemorate the 2026 Dementia Africa Week.
He described dementia as a condition that affects the brain and gradually damages a person’s memory, thinking, behaviour, communication, and ability to perform everyday activities.
“A person living with dementia may begin to forget familiar faces, get confused easily, struggle to recognise places, repeat questions, lose direction, or experience major changes in mood and personality,” he explained.
The commissioner said dementia is a medical condition that requires understanding, care, and proper treatment.
He, however, lamented that the disease remains widely misunderstood, underdiagnosed, underfunded, and hidden behind stigma.
“In many communities, memory loss and behavioural changes are wrongly attributed to ageing, spiritual attacks or cultural myths, instead of being recognised as a medical condition requiring care and support,” he said.
Baamlong noted that the week is not merely a symbolic observance, but a wake-up call.
According to him, dementia is no longer a distant medical issue.
“It has become an African public health emergency hiding in plain sight.
“If Africa fails to act now, the consequences will be devastating not only for individuals, but for families, health systems, economies and entire communities,” he said.
He further called for more research into dementia, stressing that the challenge requires African data, African innovation, African leadership, and African solutions.
“Research is not a luxury in the fight against dementia; it is our compass for survival,” he said.
Earlier, Dementia Africa, a Pan-African initiative, paid a courtesy visit to the commissioner as part of efforts to raise awareness and advocate better support for people living with the condition.
Prof. Nelson Ochekpe, grand patron of the initiative, said the visit was aimed at briefing the commissioner on the organisation’s activities and strengthening public awareness on dementia.
In response, the commissioner assured the organisation of the Plateau State Government’s continued support for initiatives focused on awareness creation, early diagnosis, and care for dementia.
The commissioner was also presented with an Award of Excellence by the organisation in recognition of his support in the fight against dementia.
