Alzheimer's in Morocco: silence is no longer an option (and 2)

By 2050, Alzheimer's will be the leading cause of loss of autonomy worldwide. More than 150 million people will be affected, nearly 70% of them in low- and middle-income countries. Morocco is directly exposed to this reality. Yet we continue to look the other way.

According to Majda Beribej, Alzheimer's will rank first among diseases in Morocco in 2050,surpassing cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, and diabetes. This historic change is known and predictable. What is lacking is not information, but political will.

The rapid aging of the population, the advance of diabetes, the increase in hypertension, and sedentary lifestyles create the perfect scenario for an alarming spread of neurodegenerative diseases. Even so, Alzheimer's remains underdiagnosed and trivialized as a “normal” consequence of aging. This view is wrong and dangerous.

Alzheimer's disease does not just erase memories. It undermines dignity, disrupts families, and generates an invisible social cost that falls mainly on women, silent and unrecognized caregivers. This price does not appear in budgets, but it is paid every day.

Failing to anticipate today means accepting a social and health crisis tomorrow. It means choosing improvisation over prevention, suffering over organization.

The evidence is clear: a significant proportion of cases can be delayed or prevented through prevention and early diagnosis. Acting now is an investment, not an expense.

Making Alzheimer's a national priority is no longer a choice. It is an ethical, health, and social obligation. Morocco can still decide: act today or pay tomorrow. Silence is no longer an option.