World Brain Day 2016 devoted to ageing brain

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World Brain Day 2016 devoted to ageing brain

One in three individuals over the age of 80 suffers from at least one neurological disease – Raising awareness for an underestimated problem – More prevention can mitigate human suffering and economic consequences – “Viewing advanced age as more than just a burden”

For this reason, the World Federation of Neurology has decided to devote this year’s Brain Day to the subject of “Brain Health and the Ageing Population – The Ageing Brain”.

Pakistan Society of Neurology (PSN) in collaboration with Lundbeck Pakistan mark the World Brain Day 2016 and organized Awareness Seminars in Karachi , Lahore and Islamabad .  The aim of these seminars was increasing global awareness on the management and prevention of all brain and neuromuscular diseases affecting the elderly and on concepts and means of promoting the prevention of brain diseases.

In one program in Karachi – Renowned Neurologists and Psychiatrists including Prof. Mohammed Wasay, Prof. Iqbal Afridi and M. Rizwan Jaffer were the main speakers whereas Prof. Ejaz Vohra, Dr. Abul Malik, Prof. Shaukat Ali, Prof. Hamid Shafqat, Prof. Unaiza Niaz and Prof. Zaman Shaikh were the panelists of the Seminar. Earlier, M. Rizwan Jaffer, Chairman, Youth Parliaments also spoke on the occasion.

Speaking at the Seminar, Prof. Muhammad Wasay from Aga Khan University Hospital said that the burden of brain health diseases is increasing across the world and is also the major issue in aging population. He was of the view that common diseases especially neurological and psychological disorders like Stroke, Dementia, Parkinson’s, Depression, GAD and other mental health issues are very common of growing age and that could be avoided, prevented and treated with counseling, medication and lifestyle modification.

“It is time to act!” This is the appeal of the chairman of the WFN Public Awareness Committee, Prof Mohammad Wasay, Karachi. “Diseases affecting the brain are the most frequent causes of handicaps today throughout the world. A good share of the disease burden would be avoidable if we were more devoted to prevention.”

Prof Wasay’s advice is this: “Remain mentally active by staying curious and involved and by committing to lifelong learning: Read, write, work puzzles, attend plays or lectures, play games, garden, or pursue memory exercises. Remain socially active, engage in social and leisure activities by volunteering, traveling, or joining social clubs.”

Prof. Iqbal Afridi, Head of Psychiatry Deptt., Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Karachi informed that as per World Health Organization (WHO) definition, health is the physical, social and mental well-being of a person and a person should be mentally and socially fit along with physical well to be able to have a healthy life in the later years of his life.

Later, Panelists including Prof. Zaman Shaikh, Prof. Ejaz Vohra, Prof. Hamid Shafqat, Prof. Unaiza Niaz also shared their valuable thoughts regarding neurological and psychological disorders in Pakistan. In our country, basic values and strength, politeness, role model, courtesy, discipline, ethics is ending.  There is need to provide facilities to the aging people to make life more active. Furthermore, they also appreciated the efforts of Prof. Wasay and Prof. Abdul Malik for promoting awareness about neurological and psychological disorder amongst the general public.

In another event in Islamabad – Prof. Dr Arsalan Ahmad, consultant neurologist at Shifa International Hospital (SIH) and president of Pakistan Society of Neurology (PSN) made this observation . “The public is not sufficiently aware of the subject and healthcare policy in many places does not include it to a sufficient degree. The ageing population has major social, health, and economic consequences. Brain health will be among the most important determinants of social and economic well-being of older persons in the future,” Dr. Arsalan said.

The seminar was chaired and co-chaired by renowned neurologists Prof. Mohammad Tariq and Brigadier Wasim Alamgir respectively, and attended by neurologists, medical specialists and medical students of the twin cities.

Speakers like Dr. Mazhar Badshah  , Dr. Shahzad Khan , Dr. Asad Tamziuddin and Dr. Azhar Saeed also talked on this occasion to elaborate Brain health in different conditions.

Quoting statistics of the World Federation of Neurology, Prof Arsalan said, 10 to 20 per cent of all 60 to 80 year-olds suffer from at least one brain disorder, and among those over the age of 80 years, nearly 1 in 3 is affected. And this age group is growing worldwide. Today, people over the age of 60 number 800 million and account for 12 percent of the world population. By 2050, demographers assume that 21 percent will have reached that age and will number more than 2 billion. The number of neurological patients will rise continuously as a result.

2017-04-26T12:34:50+00:00