Catalyst for change

In fiscal year 2008 the Alzheimer’s Association continued its leadership in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease with new hope in research and significant accomplishments in building awareness and advocating for public policy change. We are proud to share some of these activities in this report. The past year was also a time of great momentum for the Association, as exciting new programs and initiatives were launched at both the national and chapter levels. We extended our outreach to Hispanic and African-American populations and provided a platform and voice for people with the disease through our town hall meetings and an advisory group of individuals with early-stage Alzheimer’s.

Harry Johns President and CEO

Yet this year also saw Alzheimer’s become the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Today as many as 5.2 million people, including 200,000 individuals under age 65, are living with the disease. And as the baby boomer generation ages, we can expect 10 million of them to develop Alzheimer’s in their lifetime. Unchecked, the disease will continue to escalate and impose staggering consequences on families, the economy and the nation’s health and long-term care infrastructure.

Evan Thompson Chair, National Board of Directors

It is within the context of this growing national crisis that the Alzheimer’s Association is calling for greater commitment and urgency. To achieve our vision of a world without Alzheimer’s we must build greater awareness of the disease and weave Alzheimer’s into the national consciousness and dialogue. We need to educate the public about the disease and the number of people already affected. We must communicate that Alzheimer’s is not part of normal aging. It is, in fact, a progressive, degenerative, physical disease of the brain which is ultimately fatal.

As a world leader in Alzheimer’s care, support and research, the Alzheimer’s Association has the global, national and community-level presence and reputation to build this movement. No other organization reaches across the country and into communities to support and unify people with Alzheimer’s and their families and caregivers the way we do. We serve as the catalyst for changing the national discourse about the disease.

In this effort we face our greatest challenge, but also our greatest opportunity. Now is a time of great hope. The research community is optimistic that, within the next few years, new drugs and new combinations of drugs may delay progression of the disease. More compounds are in phase III clinical trials or about to enter phase III clinical trials than ever before. The Alzheimer's Association has been involved in nearly every major advance in Alzheimer’s research since the Association was founded in 1980; as we look to fiscal year 2009 and beyond, we will continue to play a major role in funding and advocating for Alzheimer’s research.

Without national attention and commitment we will not be able to achieve the progress that is needed to halt or delay progression of the disease. Our challenge is to elevate the Alzheimer’s issue from a misunderstood disease to an important cause for the public and policy makers. Our nation is dangerously unprepared to address this emerging public health crisis that has widespread social, political and economic consequences. Now is the time to commit national resources and energy to galvanize this work and end Alzheimer’s disease. Our annual Public Policy Forum on Capitol Hill mobilizes hundreds of advocates bearing our banner and calling on Congress to increase federal funding for Alzheimer’s research and care.

We will also work to secure a better long-term care policy and will support ways to help people provide more effective care at home. We will work to expand local programs and outreach that help people with the disease, including rural and diverse populations.

Finally, we will continue to build awareness of the disease and put a face on this health crisis by encouraging those with Alzheimer’s to speak about the disease and its impact.

We ask you to join in our efforts to turn this disease into the cause it should be. Become an Alzheimer’s Association Champion. Help us spread the word that Alzheimer’s disease affects us all. With your help, we have the opportunity to change the course of this disease and the lives of millions of Americans.

Harry John President and CEO	Evan Thompson Chair, National Board of Directors
	Evan Thompson ended his term on the national board of directors in November 2008.

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