GE Healthcare's MIND campaign is going online to give those affected by neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia and parkinsonian syndromes a platform to share their stories.
MIND - Making an Impact on Neurodegenerative Diseases - is a global campaign initiated by GE Healthcare to identify gaps in current frameworks for the detection, diagnosis, and care of neurodegenerative disease, and to propose viable solutions. GE Healthcare is partnering with expert organizations and individuals around the world, initially focusing on France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, to drive policy to support patients, families, and caregivers affected by neurodegenerative disease, and to examine ways to reduce the cost of disease management.
Launched recently, www.mindonlinecampaign.com is asking people touched by neurodegenerative disease to share their stories and inform the campaign from the grassroots.
"People who are touched by these diseases are at the core of the MIND campaign and we want to hear from them about how these diseases have affected their lives," said Pascale Witz, President and CEO, GE Healthcare, Medical Diagnostics. "We are committed to improving things for patients and for caregivers, and will use our expertise and our voice to call on policymakers to act to alleviate the suffering caused by neurodegenerative disease."
"We are looking forward to working with GE Healthcare on the MIND campaign," said Marc Wortmann, Executive Director of Alzheimer's Disease International. "Together, we will find solutions that will positively impact the lives of millions of people living with the most prevalent forms of neurodegenerative disease."
About Neurodegenerative Diseases
According to Alzheimer's Disease International, approximately 36 million people are living with dementia, (including Alzheimer's) and by 2050 the number of cases will more than triple. Additionally, the Alzheimer's Association notes that for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in the US, aggregate payments for healthcare, long-term care and hospice care are projected to rise from $183 billion in 2011 to $1.1 trillion in 2050. Furthermore, according to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 7-10 million are living with Parkinson's worldwide. The rising incidence of such diseases not only affects the health and well-being of sufferers and their loved ones, but has a tremendous economic impact.
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About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement, and performance solutions services helps our customers deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.
Our "healthymagination" vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries.