Alzheimers NZ shines on global scale at recent dementia conference
The recent 37th Global Conference of Alzheimer’s Disease International brought home the importance of the advocacy work Alzheimers NZ does for people living with dementia mate wareware and their whānau.
The event was in-person only over three days in April in Lyon, France – attracting 1300 participants from 90 countries.
The delegation included Alzheimers NZ’s former Chair Teresa Wall, Chief Executive Catherine Hall and Alzheimers Tasman/Nelson Chair Heni Brown (pictured above). Dementia Learning Centre Director Caroline Bartle self-funded her attendance.
Catherine presented on transforming the dementia journey: uniting services, data and advocacy for change, while Caroline highlighted innovative approaches to learning and showed two posters.
“The conference provided a strong message of hope about what is possible in future with the right government support and funding and confirmed the importance of implementing the Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan,” says Catherine.
“And it was great to reconnect with others in the international Alzheimers family after seven years away from these global conferences.”
Catherine says lived experience was front and centre and evident in the various ways the person was placed at the centre of policy, research, programme design and evaluation.
“There is so much to be hopeful about… but the increasing pressure on our health system and the continued underinvestment in services means we’re not well placed to take advantage of these international developments,” she says.
Delegates consisted of people with lived experience to representatives from all parts of the sector including clinicians and researchers.
Heni says the conference felt like a family and it was one of the best experiences of her life. It highlighted the importance of the national work Alzheimers NZ leads, such as the Action Plan.
“It was such a great experience to me but most of all to see the work that Alzheimers NZ is doing on a global scale.”
The next Global ADI Conference is in New Delhi, India, in March 2028.
Find out more about what Alzheimers NZ is asking for in the lead up to the 2026 General Election.