(MENAFN - Arab News) Seven thousand balloons will be sent into the air at 5 p.m. at Tahlia Street in Riyadh on Thursday to mark World Alzheimer's Day in the Kingdom.
The event organized by the Saudi Alzheimer's Disease Association (SADA) is designed to attract attention, so writers, thinkers, artists and media men might show their solidarity with Alzheimer patients.
The balloon launch is part of SADA's four-week national campaign, which runs to Sept. 30 with the participation of more than 12 governmental and private universities and health, social and charity organizations.
SADA announced an international prize for scientific research in Alzheimer's disease, named after Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz , was announced at the opening of the First International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Riyadh recently .
"The campaign comes as an extension of SADA's awareness, health, social plans and follows key milestones of SADA. The most important of those is the opening of outpatient clinics for Alzheimer patients in a number of governmental hospitals," said SADA Vice Chairperson Princess Madawi bint Muhammed bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman.
The campaign also comes amid calls for the inclusion of Alzheimer patients in health insurance systems and the launch of the national database for the disease, she said.
The princess said the campaign would witness a series of activities such as fairs, lectures, workshops, and awareness programs at shopping malls.
A selected group of academics, physicians specialized in brain and nerve diseases, and members of SADA's medical committee will address the public gatherings.
The campaign was launched on Wednesday, at King Saud Medical City (KSMC). Dr. Najib Qadhi, Deputy Head of Nerve Section and Head of the Nerve Physicians Training Program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center presented a lecture titled "what do you know about Alzheimer's disease".
The campaign was launched in the Eastern Region in partnership with Princess Jawahir Center, where Dr. Turayyif Al-'Ama, consultant of Ageing and Memory Diseases at the Faculty of Medicine of King Abdulaziz University, held a lecture on the disease in coordination with Prince Mohammed bin Fahad University.
On Thursday, the Kingdom Commercial Center and Faisaliah Center will join the campaign by illuminating the towers with the color of purple to show cooperation and sympathy to mark the day. Riyadh Gallery will also join this campaign.
On Sept. 25, SADA will organize an awareness lecture in cooperation with Prince Salman Social Center (PSSC), one of strategic partners, on the role of nutrition to prevent the disease (women section). For the men's section, experts from Prince Sultan Humanitarian City (PSHC) will hold a similar lecture.
On Sept. 25 and 26, SADA will organize activities in cooperation with Kingdom Commercial Center in partnership with King Saud University (College of Applied Medical Sciences), one of strategic partners, which will focus on the disease and the distribution of booklets and brochures.
The activities will also start in Jeddah on Sept. 25, when a series of awareness campaigns on Alzheimer's disease are organized in partnership with Majid bin Abdulaziz Society for Development and Social Services.
In association with Al-Faisal University, one of its strategic partners, SADA will organize a lecture by Dr. Fahad Al-Wahhabi, Consultant Psychiatrist for Elderly, at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) on new developments in Alzheimer's
disease.
