National Dementia Strategy Consultation
Invited stakeholder at India’s first National Consultative Meet on Dementia Strategy; currently developing a policy position paper advancing the need for a national dementia plan and propose interventions that can be integrated.
On 29th September 2025, I was invited to participate in the National Consultative Meet on Dementia Strategy at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi, jointly organised by the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) and the Dementia India Alliance (DIA), with support from the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD).
This meeting marked India’s first structured national effort to respond to the World Health Organization’s call for all countries to adopt a national dementia plan. The consultation brought together senior stakeholders from MoHFW, MoSJE, NITI Aayog, ICMR, AIIMS, NIMHANS, AYUSH, DGHS, civil society organisations, and public health leaders to chart a coordinated, evidence-driven approach to dementia care.
The deliberations focused on:
Developing a multi-sectoral, time-bound position paper to guide national dementia care and align with global brain health priorities.
Designing integrated pathways for early detection, diagnosis, and person-centred care across primary, secondary, and tertiary health systems.
Strengthening national workforce capacity, including dementia-focused certification and skill-building platforms under NSDC and Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness Centres.
Advancing collaboration between ministries, research institutions, and implementation partners.
Setting priorities for research, registries, prevalence studies, and national data systems.
Consolidating expert recommendations into a National Dementia Strategy, aligned with India’s brain health agenda.
Following this consultative dialogue, I am currently preparing a policy position paper that highlights the urgent need for a National Dementia Plan for India. The paper will outline the systemic gaps, equity considerations, and implementation challenges identified during the meeting, and propose actionable, evidence-based interventions that can be integrated within India’s public health architecture.
This engagement reflects Reform for India's Mental Health Advocacy commitment to closing the policy–practice gap, advancing equitable mental health systems, and ensuring that dementia care in India becomes integrated, compassionate, and future-oriented.
IIC, New delhi/ September 29, 2025