15,000 to 20,000 Moroccans suffer from Alzheimer's

Head of the neurology and neuropsychology department at Rabat's 'Hopital des Specialites', Professor El Alaoui Faris, said at a press conference Thursday that 15,000 to 20,000 Moroccans suffer from Alzheimer's.

According to Alaoui, Alzheimer's disease is the first cause of dementia in Moroccan patients, adding that, given the aging of the Moroccan population (5% will be 65 and over in 2020), one should expect a rise in the prevalence of the ailment.

The expert called for the elaboration of a specific program for Alzheimer's patients, announcing the creation shortly of an association called "Maroc Alzheimer" by patients' families, with the help of health professionals.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, irreversible brain disorder with no known cause or cure. It attacks and slowly steals the minds of its victims. Symptoms of the disease include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, personality changes, disorientation, and loss of language skills. Always fatal, Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of irreversible dementia.