AFA-Osuna has read a manifesto at the doors of the Town Hall on the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day. The association demands that new drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency be funded with public money and calls for more support for caregiver families.
The Association of Relatives of People with Alzheimer’s (AFA-Osuna) held a protest event on this 21st of September, World Alzheimer’s Day, at the doors of the Town Hall of Osuna. The president of the entity, Mª Pepa Medina, was responsible for reading this year’s manifesto, which is titled “No is no longer an answer”.
The text demands that new treatments approved by the European Medicines Agency be incorporated into public funding. The association requests that access to these drugs does not depend on the patient’s place of residence or economic capacity.
The manifesto also calls for strengthening early diagnosis, prevention, and research. Additionally, it demands recognition and support for non-pharmacological therapies and cognitive stimulation, as well as better coordination between health and social services.
Present at the event were the mayor of Osuna, Rosario Andújar, members of the government team and the municipal corporation, representatives of AFA-Osuna, municipal workers, and local residents.
After the reading, the mayor emphasised the need to support associations that assist families. “We must especially support associations and entities and enable all those necessary resources for families, but we must also support the advancement of research and medication,” Andújar stated.
“World Alzheimer’s Day is a day to raise awareness of a disease that is part of mental health and affects a very significant part of our society, so we must strengthen all possible support for the entities and associations that have created devices to help families.”
The mayor highlighted AFA-Osuna's work over the years to raise social awareness. “There is already quite a bit of talk about this disease, and that is already a success of all the people who have made this possible with this programme of events, with these manifestos, with the constant work of the association and with all those workshops they conduct at their headquarters,” she noted.
Andújar supported the main demand of the association and stated that “the advocacy, the claims, and the demands are absolutely justified before the administrations, especially before the health administrations.” In this regard, she expressed hope that “sooner rather than later, we will have access to that medication that exists today but is not yet included in the public health service portfolio.”
“That is the main demand this year. This year we say there are no excuses, waiting is not possible, and therefore, it seems very logical to me that we fully adhere to this demand.”
The mayor focused on caregivers. She reminded that the disease affects not only the person suffering from it but also their entire environment, and defended that caregivers “must be attended to and listened to.” She also called for training and social support so they can have “their respite time, their time to disconnect from caring for the affected family member, to be able to continue caring.”
For her part, the president of AFA-Osuna thanked the Town Hall for its support and highlighted that collaboration with administrations is essential. “Without the administrations, we cannot get anywhere on our own,” Medina stated, emphasising the need for public funding for new treatments and the message of hope that their arrival represents.
The event served to raise awareness of a disease that affects an increasing number of families in Osuna and the surrounding area. The association continues to offer its cognitive stimulation workshops and services at its headquarters and reminds that anyone interested can contact the entity for guidance.
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