Intergenerational fairness is also about health literacy and disease prevention. Dementia is still a neglected disease despite it affecting not only people in later life. Childhood dementia and early on-set dementia affect increasingly our communities. Especially childhood dementias' are underreported and often misdiagnosed.

Dementia is not only a leading cause of death, but it is projected that in 2024 Dementia is the 3 leading cause of dead globally (see ADI report)! Therefore, a wholistic EU dementia plan and pathways is necessary

A clear pathway would incl. education (health literacy and how to support people in late stages of this invisible disease, concerns reimbursement of treatments (as we have for cancer or HIV). It also needs to talk prevention, screening, reliable diagnostics, holistic treatment options (even if we have predominantly lifestyle interventions), follow-up treatment plans, appropriate palliative care approaches, dementia friendly hospitals/specialist healthcare settings, and - hopefully one day -follow-up care to make sure the disease is completely gone.

To avoid the term - dementia - is harmful to the cause. It is premature way to sugar-coat a deadly condition (no cures yet). This international trend of grouping dementia initiatives with brain health or other neurodegenerative conditions action plans is not the solution. Dementia is scary and until there is a treatment, it must a serious topic. Dementia needs a platform such as cancer.