Public sector partnership with charitable organizations urged

Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahd, general president of Youth Welfare, pledged his cooperation to support charitable activities in the Kingdom including the progressive services rendered by the Riyadh-based Saudi Alzheimer's Disease Association (SADA).
The prince was speaking at the International Volunteeering Day organized by the SADA in the outskirts of the city.
The function was held in cooperation with the Presidency of Youth Welfare at the Reem International Circuit, some 76 km west of the capital
The event brought together celebrity stars, artistes, athletes, poets and a comedy team to entertain the visitors to the carnival. Soccer stars Yasser Qahtani and Majeed Abdullah were also present during the function.
The function also honored several philanthropists including SRMG Chairman Prince Faisal bin Salman, Prince Sultan bin Bandar Al-Faisal, Prince Saud bin Abdullah, Riyadh Mayor Abdullah Al-Muqbel, Bandar Al-Khalidi and private sector organizations such as Exxon Mobile and Prince Sultan Humanitarian City.
Speaking at the function, Prince Nawaf said the services of his organization will be available at all times to promote the spirit of volunteerism to help charitable organizations such as SADA.
SADA Vice Chairperson Princess Madawi bint Muhammed bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman, said the program to mark the International Volunteering Day aimed to promote Kingdom-wide awareness about the activities of SADA.
She stressed the importance of public sector partnerships with charitable organizations to help those who are in need of various services. Through the awareness program, she said the society is keen on attracting the attention of people affected with this disease.
“SADA is dedicated to spread our message throughout the country that Alzheimer's is a disease and not a natural part of aging,” she said.
Since its inception, SADA has adopted this policy and formed a voluntary work team to work as a model aimed to attract sons and daughters of the nation to such work and give him or her experience through a disciplined administrative program, she noted.
Chairman of SADA Prince Saud bin Khaled bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman thanked Prince Nawaf and other dignitaries who attended the function.
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder named after German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first diagnosed it in 1906. Scientists have learned a great deal about the disease in the course of the century since Dr. Alzheimer first drew attention to it.
Alzheimer’s gets worse over time and it is fatal. Today it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the world. It is the most common form of dementia, a general term for the loss of memory and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. The disease accounts for 50 to 70 percent of dementia cases. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia, mixed dementia, dementia with lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia.
Recently, SADA announced an international prize for scientific research in Alzheimer's, named after Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz at the opening of the First International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease here.
The organization had received the Chaillot Award from the European Union for its continued efforts to spread awareness about Alzheimer's in Saudi society and to improve health and living standards of Alzheimer's-stricken patients.
As the population ages, Alzheimer’s disease is expected to have an increasing impact on society. Alzheimer’s is currently the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and costs the American economy $ 148 billion annually. An estimated 26 million people live with Alzheimer’s and this number is expected to increase to 52 million people around the world by 2030.
In Saudi Arabia, there is a complete lack of information pertaining to estimates of current prevalence and cost of care as well as other aspects of the disease, such as care settings, treatment, detection, diagnosis and the current understanding of the disease.
Patient and caregiver perspectives that may reveal the daily struggle of living and dealing with the disease are missing. Additionally, currently available pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease are not exactly determined as well as risk factors (i.e. lifestyle choices and environmental factors) thought to be associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s among the Saudi population.