The Association Alzheimer & Dementia Mauritius

The Association Alzheimer & Dementia Mauritius was officially established in May 2005 as a result of the efforts of a group of persons from various areas of civil society, acting on their own or within organized NGOs, who were all concerned with the care of elderly persons in a country with an ageing population.

Our Alzheimer Association takes its roots as far back as 1980 when Mrs. Denise Vaulbert de Chantilly, then President of our National Senior Citizens Council established contact and collaborated with the French-based Fédération Internationale des Associations de Personnes Agées (FIAPA). This involved meetings around the world and much of the local initiatives were due to the efforts of the Gerontology Commissiion of the Lyons Club of Port Louis, Mauritius, which was also chaired by Mrs. Vaulbert de Chantilly.

This collaboration culminated with the organisation of an International Meeting of the FIAPA in Mauritius, in 1999.

With the collaboration of the Lyons Club and a group of local Volunteers, efforts for promoting the well-being and care of the elderly led to the establishment of an independent group affiliated to the FIAPA (Groupement FIAPA) in 2005.

The local Groupement FIAPA initially concentrated on efforts to promote the management of elderly homes with special emphasis on quality control and improvement of care.

Following further support from the FIAPA, especially with the frequent visit of Dr. Pierre Cateaux, Gerontologist from Réunion, the local Groupement FIAPA gave increased attention to Alzheimer’s Disease. This eventually led to the foundation of the local Alzheimer Association which was established in May 2005.