Caribbean dementia cases projected to reach 744,800 by 2050

Regional projections put the number of people living with dementia in the Caribbean at about 744,800 by 2050, up from an estimated 291,800 in 2019. That would be an increase of about 155%.

The projections have been cited in a regional brain-health initiative led by Amagi, founded by Caribbean researcher Dr. Ishtar Govia. Amagi is preparing a Caribbean Brain Health Summit from Monday 28 September 16 to Sunday 22 November 2026, followed by a scientific meeting in Jamaica in February 2027.

According to Amagi, the summit is intended to bring together representatives from health, business, technology, civil society, creative industries and Caribbean communities in the region and abroad. The initiative also plans work across health, social care, banking, tourism and technology.

A two-decade study involving 16,950 adults aged 65 and older in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru and Puerto Rico found crude dementia prevalence across its study sites rose from 10.6% in 2003-2006 to 16.9% in 2016-2020.

Washington University School of Medicine has also launched the Caribbean Omics and Genomics for Alzheimer Study, known as CONGAS. The project has a five-year US$12 million grant from the National Institute on Aging and will examine genetic and molecular factors linked to Alzheimer’s disease among about 5,000 participants in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Spain.