SADA chief supervisor Dr. Abdulaziz Almagushi chaired the concluding session of the conference, while its vice chairperson Princess Madawi bint Muhammed bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman announced the recommendations made at the conference in the final session.
Spelling out the recommendations, Princess Madawi, who is also the executive chairperson of the conference’s organizing committee, said the response from the participants had further encouraged SADA to enhance its programs.
The princess thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and his Crown Prince Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, for the cooperation extended to provide health care to patients afflicted with Alzheimer's.
She said such a regional body will have its headquarters in the capital of the Kingdom and would coordinate all the activities of the proposed organization.
The princess said delegates decided to hold the conference once every two years in Riyadh and SADA would also publish a journal regularly in Arabic and English to disseminate information on Alzheimer's and its latest updates. “This will be a scientific magazine which would highlight relevant research and erudite articles on the disease as well as about the charitable work undertaken by SADA,” she said.
She said SADA would conduct regular workshops and refresher courses for medics and paramedics who are involved in treating Alzheimer's patients.
“We will make use of the print and electronic media to propagate the ideals and activities of the organization,” the princess said.
She pointed out that the conference was an important national step in combating this growing disease and was the first step in rehabilitation and initiation of more health care programs for this condition. She said the organization has been working hand in hand with its strategic partners through a number of cooperation agreements in the medical, philanthropic, academic and media fields.
SADA board member and head of the Alzheimer Caregivers' Committee Dr. Fahd Al-Wahabby said he anticipates the number of Alzheimer patients to exceed 1 million in the coming years, pointing out the number has been rapidly increasing in recent times.
An international prize for scientific research in Alzheimer's, named after the late Crown Prince Sultan, was announced at the inauguration of the conference by Prince Saud bin Khaled bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman, chairman of SADA, which sponsored the event.
Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Social Affairs Minister Yousef Al-Othaimeen, KACST President Mohammed Al-Suwaiyel and Alzheimer's Disease International Executive Director Marc Wortman also addressed the delegates at the opening of the conference.
SADA also signed four agreements with the Health Services Council of the Ministry of Health, King Saud University, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Medical University of the National Guard and Alfaisal University to carry out a national awareness program on Alzheimer's.
Besides 1,500 male and female local delegates, the three-day meet attracted 20 world renowned scholars specialized in the disease from the United States and Europe.
