H.M. Drottningens tal vid 34th virtual international conference of ADI
(Det talade ordet gäller)
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to thank you all for joining the 34th Virtual International conference of Alzheimer's Disease International. As the global ambassador of Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) it is my pleasure to welcome you to this global conference.
Today, around 50 million people worldwide are living with dementia. This number is expected to reach more than 130 million in 2050.
This makes dementia one of the largest, most complex and challenging health issues facing humanity today. It is an issue especially close to my heart. In the 1990’s I saw my mother suffer from Alzheimer’s. They were difficult years, for my mother but also for us, her loved ones.
As painful as that experience was, it taught me a lot. And it was the start of my personal commitment to improving the care of elderly and dementia patients.
In 1996, I founded the Silviahemmet Foundation. Today, Silviahemmet educate professionals from the whole care chain. And the vision is the same today as it was 24 years ago: to improve the quality of life for persons affected by dementia and their families. In Sweden we are proud to have a National Dementia Strategy, which helps to ensure quality standards of care.
2020 is the year of the nurse and midwife. Across the world, the current pandemic has highlighted the strained situation many nurses, and other caregivers, work in.
One of my initiatives, the scholarship “Queen Silvia Nursing Award”, gives nursing students a platform to discuss, innovate and share their ideas to improve the care of elderly, especially those with dementia. The scholarship also aims to raise awareness about the nursing profession and the important work nurses have in society. I am sure many other examples of innovation will be shared throughout this plenary and the conference.
Such mutual learning is essential for making progress to support the people living with dementia. Never before have we had so much knowledge about dementia diseases as we do today. And never before has there been greater ambitions and determination to fight them. It fills me with hope. We all need a better world for those living with dementia and their families and I am proud to see us all working together towards this aim.
Thank you all for taking part in this conference and I am looking forward to the outcome.
