The World Dementia Council (WDC) hosted the “WDC Summit 2026” on October 20, 2026. From Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), Mr. Ryoji Noritake, Chair of HGPI and WDC Council Member, participated in and spoke at the summit.

In recent years, innovative advances in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, have driven a major healthcare paradigm shift from managing advanced stages to addressing earlier, pre-symptomatic stages. Consequently, healthcare systems, clinical settings, and the environment surrounding patients and their families are facing an unprecedented turning point.

In response to these developments, the summit was held under the main theme of “The New Patient: Before Symptoms, After Diagnosis.” Discussions centered on the changes brought about by the arrival of new treatments and on the transition from late diagnosis to early detection. The summit also addressed biomarker and digital testing, brain health and prevention, the slow pace of access to new diagnostics and treatments, and the use of data and digital tools. From these perspectives, a diverse range of stakeholders discussed how health systems as a whole should adapt and transform.

Furthermore, Mr. Noritake served as a panelist in the discussion session titled “Demand Didn’t Outpace Capacity: Lessons from the First Wave of Treatment.” During the session, he shared the current status of dementia-related policy in Japan. He also noted that, as discussions on treatment and diagnosis advance, building healthcare delivery systems that ensure equitable access to treatment and support must go hand in hand with the efforts to build a dementia-inclusive society that Japan has cultivated over the years. He emphasized the importance of keeping this context in mind when putting these measures into practice.

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(Photographed by: Pete Jones @pjproductions)