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Tackling Ghana’s dementia underdiagnosis needs investment in workforce, diagnostics, education and insurance

Nature Aging (2025)Cite this article

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In Ghana, the population is aging and the burden of dementia is increasing. Limitations in trained health personnel, appropriate diagnostic tools and sociocultural perspectives are impeding local responses and affecting diagnosis and care.

Dementia is a progressive disease with a spectrum of manifestations of declined brain function caused by specific illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease1. There is no specific test to diagnose dementia; such a diagnosis requires a full assessment by a doctor or healthcare provider, with extensive evaluations that include cognitive function assessment and brain imaging tests. Most symptoms of dementia are related to memory and behavior: memory loss, challenges with problem solving and decision making, difficulties with communication, and personality changes are common among them. There is no cure, but the appropriate and timely management of symptoms ensures good outcomes for affected people. Early detection of this serious condition that affects older adults is paramount, especially in an era in which more people are living longer owing to advances in healthcare.

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Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the Neurology Society of Ghana and the Ghana Health Service for providing relevant data to support this publication.

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  1. Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

    Mary Amoakoh-Coleman

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  1. Mary Amoakoh-Coleman
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Correspondence to Mary Amoakoh-Coleman.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Amoakoh-Coleman, M. Tackling Ghana’s dementia underdiagnosis needs investment in workforce, diagnostics, education and insurance. Nat Aging (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-025-00963-6

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