Mumbai : Dementia India Alliance (DIA), a national, NGO dedicated to promoting awareness, advocacy, and care for people living with dementia, and Apollo AyurVAID Hospitals, India’s leading Precision Ayurveda hospital network under the Apollo Hospitals Group, have joined hands to advance integrative dementia care and awareness in India. The collaboration aims to address the growing public health challenge posed by dementia by combining DIA’s expertise in care, community engagement and advocacy with Apollo AyurVAID’s clinical leadership in precision Ayurveda and integrative medicine. Together, the two organizations will work towards creating awareness that encourages timely medical help, facilitates early diagnosis, and better management of the condition.

With India’s elderly population expected to reach 319 million by 2050, accounting for one-fifth of the total population, the country faces a mounting public health challenge. According to industry estimates, about 7.4 per cent of Indians aged 60 and above are affected by dementia which is nearly 88 lakh people today – a number projected to rise to 1.7 Crore by 2036.  Early and accurate diagnosis is the cornerstone of effective care, yet nearly 90 per cent of those living with dementia in India remain undiagnosed due to the limited availability of memory clinics, a critical gap that must be bridged to enable timely intervention and support. The increasing prevalence of risk factors associated with dementia — such as diabetes, hypertension, and more than 14 other modifiable factors — underscores the urgent need for proactive risk reduction and early intervention strategies…In this context, the MoU between Dementia India Alliance and Apollo AyurVAID Hospitals marks a crucial step forward integrating evidence-based Ayurveda protocols with sustained community advocacy to advance early detection, prevention, and holistic management of dementia in India’s ageing population.

Commenting on the strategic importance of this partnership, Rajiv Vasudevan, Founder & Managing Director, Apollo AyurVAID Hospitals, said, “Dementia represents one of India’s most pressing yet under-addressed health challenges. Ayurveda, with its prowess in Jara Chikitsa(elder care) and Rasayana Chikitsa(promotive health)  offers a preventive, promotive and disease-modifying framework that can delay dementia onset and progression particularly in the early stages by addressing the underlying metabolic, inflammatory, and cognitive imbalances that drive neurodegeneration.  Apollo AyurVAID will also implement specialized training and dementia-friendly protocols across its centres to enhance patient experience and promote healthy ageing. This partnership is a decisive step toward ensuring that ageing in India is healthy, dignified, and well-supported.”

Speaking on the strategic collaboration, Dr Radha S Murthy , President Dementia India Alliance, said, “We have been at the forefront of addressing the multifaceted challenges of dementia care, working to enhance the well-being of individuals and families through compassionate care, awareness, and structured community support. Our partnership with Apollo AyurVAID Hospitals is uniquely positioned to combine Ayurveda’s systems-based, whole-person approach with community outreach, advocacy and training to create an integrative model focused on prevention, early detection, and whole-person-health management. We will advance the development of integrative risk assessment and therapeutic protocols that combine Ayurveda principles of whole-person-care with modern clinical insights on physical, cognitive, and lifestyle factors, as well as the impact of polypharmacy and environmental variables.Through community education, workshops, and capacity-building programs, this initiative will equip families and practitioners with tools for prevention, early identification, and compassionate management. Our partnership with Apollo AyurVAID Hospitals is a strategic step to bridge systemic gaps and build a more dementia-inclusive healthcare ecosystem in India.”