It is our sincere pleasure to welcome you to the 24th Conference of Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) in Singapore. "Dementia: Engaging Societies Around the World" is jointly organised by Alzheimer’s Disease International and Alzheimer’s Disease Association, Singapore (ADA).

ADI’s annual conference is the only one in the world that brings together scientists, clinicians, care professionals, family carers, volunteers and people with dementia. This multidisciplinary event will provide a unique opportunity to examine achievements and priorities in Alzheimer’s research, innovative techniques in the management and care of people with dementia, identify policy issues affecting people with dementia and feature training workshops for Alzheimer’s associations.

As the federation of 77 member Alzheimer’s associations worldwide, ADI is raising awareness about the global impact of dementia and calls for recognition of dementia as a global health priority. We live in a world where there is one new case of dementia every seven seconds and worldwide costs for dementia care are US$ 315 billion annually. This number will rise dramatically as the numbers of people with dementia are projected to escalate from 30 million to 100 million by 2050.

With this conference we have an opportunity to engage all societies around the world and truly make dementia a global health and social priority. We must ensure that scientific discovery and advances in information about dementia translate into tangible benefits for all people with dementia and their families.

We hope this event inspires and engages you to make a difference to the lives of those affected by dementia now and for future generations! This is also an opportunity for you to create partnerships with many like-minded groups.

Singapore is one of the smallest, beautiful and safest countries in the world. Well connected to all corners of the globe, the island nation is also the gateway to the wonders, pleasures and experiences of South-East Asia and the Far East.

We look forward to welcoming you to Singapore for yet another interesting and simulating conference in March 2009.