USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A September 27, 2016 The Huffington Post opinion piece by Dr. William Vega and Daisy Duarte underscored the impact of Alzheimer’s on Latino families and highlighted a new report from the USC Roybal Institute on Aging and UsAgainstAlzheimer's Latino Network. According to the authors, "“Alzheimer’s and Latinos: New Numbers Behind the Crisis” finds the number of Latinos in the U.S. living with Alzheimer’s could increase from 379,000 in 2012 to 3.5 million by 2060 ― a growth of 832 percent ― if a medical breakthrough is not discovered that cures or slows the progression of the disease. As the number of Latino families touched by Alzheimer’s increases, the report finds the economic impact on the Latino community will reach a cumulative $2.35 trillion by 2060, largely due to costs associated with the intensive care required…We must bring Alzheimer’s out of the shadows in the Latino community and address this disease as a public health crisis that our nation cannot afford to ignore.” Dr. William Vega is Provost Professor and Director of the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and Daisy Duarte is an advocate for the LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s Network. 

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An October 3, 2016 Berkeley News article highlighted a game called Stall Catchers, which allows the general public to directly contribute to Alzheimer’s disease research and help scientists search for a cure.