Senators push for national dementia strategy as stigma and poverty leave families “suffering in silence”
By staff writer, Parliamentary Watch
HARARE, June 9, 2026 — Zimbabwe’s Senate has renewed calls for a nationwide public awareness campaign on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, warning that stigma, weak diagnostic capacity and poverty are worsening the suffering of older people and their caregivers.
Debating on the motion on the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, senators described dementia as a growing public health and human rights issue, with many cases going undiagnosed and misunderstood.
Hon. Sen. Kabondo said dementia symptoms are often misread as “normal ageing” or blamed on witchcraft, resulting in stigma, neglect and isolation, particularly in rural communities.
Sen Kabondo urged the Ministry of Health and Child Care, working with other ministries, to run a nationwide awareness campaign and to develop a National Dementia Strategy covering early diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, caregiver support and long-term planning.
“In Africa, over 75% of dementia cases go undiagnosed,” she told the House, arguing that education is “our first defence” and proposing basic mental health education in schools, training for village health workers, increased local research, and the declaration of a National Dementia Awareness Month.
Hon. Sen. Shiri said 27 377 people have been diagnosed with dementia and cited projections that cases could rise to 80 386 by 2050, calling the increase “alarming.” She said affected people are sometimes labelled witches or ostracised, and urged community education as well as attention to lifestyle and diet.
Hon. Sen. Mupfumira linked dementia to broader failures in elderly care, telling senators that visits to old people’s homes across provinces found facilities largely not owned by the State and operating with severe resource constraints. She also highlighted the economic vulnerability of older people, citing a minimum NSSA payout of USD30 per month and noting that a basic food basket for a family of six costs USD440.
She argued that Zimbabwe lacks a standalone dementia strategy, that dementia is not adequately addressed in national policies, and that caregiver support is largely absent despite organisations like the Zimbabwe Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Association (ZARDA) doing what they can.
Several speakers stressed the disproportionate burden placed on women as caregivers, with Hon. Sen. Mupfumira warning that when women are forced to reduce or abandon work to provide full-time care, the country is “effectively taxing our women for the failures of our public health system.”
Hon. Sen. Bvumo supported the call for a coordinated national response, framing dementia care as both a constitutional and moral duty under protections for older persons. “A nation that forgets its elderly loses part of its own memory,” he said.
Community Podium is the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding NGO Reporting Award. This reflects our dedication to amplifying community voices and advancing public-interest journalism.
