The PAVE-Network was officially set up through a hybrid seminar in Kuala Lumpur on 12th December 2024.
The Dementia Prevention and Timely Diagnosis in Malaysia Workshop, held in December 2024, brought together researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and caregivers to address the growing challenge of dementia in Malaysia’s ageing population. The full-day seminar featured expert presentations on interdisciplinary research networks, screening and diagnostic pathways, national dementia action plans, prevention strategies, and multidomain interventions for cognitive frailty, alongside a powerful caregiver perspective highlighting lived experiences from early symptoms to diagnosis.
Participants engaged in interactive Q&A sessions throughout the seminar and took part in afternoon breakout discussion forums both in-person and online, to exchange insights on dementia prevention, timely diagnosis, and care and support for people with dementia and their caregivers. Through collaborative dialogue and evidence-based discussions, the seminar underscored the urgent need for integrated approaches, strengthened infrastructure, and community engagement to advance dementia prevention and improve early diagnosis and care in Malaysia.
The wokrshop was attended by 45 physical participants and 72 online participants, comprising senior academics, clinicians, policymakers, and representatives from civil society organisations involved in ageing and dementia care. Physical participants included professors, associate professors, and researchers from leading institutions such as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, University of Malaya, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Monash University Malaysia, alongside clinicians from major public and private hospitals and primary care settings across Malaysia.
The seminar also welcomed key representatives from the Ministry of Health Malaysia, state health departments, Alzheimer’s and older persons’ advocacy groups, dementia day care centres, and professional societies focused on healthy ageing. This diverse participation fostered rich interdisciplinary exchange and strengthened collaboration between academia, healthcare services, policymakers, and community-based organisations working to advance dementia prevention, timely diagnosis, and care in Malaysia.
