World Mental Health Day was observed for the first time on 10 October 1992. The day, officially commemorated every year on October 10th, aims to raise awareness in the global community about the critical mental health agendas – with a unifying voice through collaboration with various partners – to take action and to create lasting change. It was started as an annual activity of the World Federation for Mental Health by the then Deputy Secretary-General Richard Hunter. In 1994, at the suggestion of then Secretary-General Eugene Brody, a theme for the Day was used for the first time.
An estimated 50 million people around the world currently live with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, dementia being a collective term for progressive syndromes that affect various expressions of cognitive function, such as memory and emotional expression. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for the majority of cases (50 to 70%, varying by country, based on Alzheimer’s Disease International and World Health Organization figures).
