Home › Research › Risk factors
Dementia in the MENA region uncharted challenges and emerging insights a literature review
Salwa Mowafi, Sara Ayman Moustafa, Malak Wahdan, Shimaa Adel Heikal, Mai Othman, Mohamed Salama. npj Dementia, 2025-05-21
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Abstract Dementia is rising sharply in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), with cases projected to increase by 367% by 2050. Despite this, research remains fragmented, with limited large-scale studies and methodological inconsistencies. This review synthesizes current knowledge on dementia prevalence, risk factors, and healthcare challenges in MENA, highlighting key issues such as modifiable risk factors, healthcare fragmentation, workforce shortages, and the economic burden of informal caregiving. It also examines the impact of conflict, political instability, and climate change on dementia care. Addressing these gaps requires large-scale epidemiological studies, policy reforms, investment in healthcare infrastructure, and culturally adapted interventions. Strengthening research and healthcare systems is crucial to mitigating the region’s growing dementia crisis.
Key findings
- Despite this, research remains fragmented, with limited large-scale studies and methodological inconsistencies.
- This review synthesizes current knowledge on dementia prevalence, risk factors, and healthcare challenges in MENA, highlighting key issues such as modifiable risk factors, healthcare fragmentation, workforce shortages, and the economic burden of informal caregiving.
- It also examines the impact of conflict, political instability, and climate change on dementia care.
- Addressing these gaps requires large-scale epidemiological studies, policy reforms, investment in healthcare infrastructure, and culturally adapted interventions.
- Strengthening research and healthcare systems is crucial to mitigating the region’s growing dementia crisis.
Why it matters
This review highlights that dementia cases in the Middle East and North Africa are projected to rise sharply, with research remaining fragmented and healthcare systems facing challenges like workforce shortages and economic burden. Addressing these gaps will require large-scale studies, policy reforms, and culturally adapted interventions.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Risk factors, ranked →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 38/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (npj Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Npj Dementia: journal h-index 10 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 13 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 13 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Mohamed Salama: h-index 18 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Trinity College Dublin: institution h-index 926 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 38 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Mowafi, S., Moustafa, S. A., Wahdan, M., Heikal, S. A., Othman, M., & Salama, M. (2025). Dementia in the MENA region uncharted challenges and emerging insights a literature review. npj Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44400-025-00009-z
Vancouver
Mowafi S, Moustafa SA, Wahdan M, Heikal SA, Othman M, Salama M. Dementia in the MENA region uncharted challenges and emerging insights a literature review. npj Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1038/s44400-025-00009-z.
BibTeX
@article{mowafi2025-5bec2c18,
author = {Mowafi, Salwa and Moustafa, Sara Ayman and Wahdan, Malak and Heikal, Shimaa Adel and Othman, Mai and Salama, Mohamed},
title = {{Dementia in the MENA region uncharted challenges and emerging insights a literature review}},
journal = {npj Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1038/s44400-025-00009-z},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s44400-025-00009-z}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
1 study in the alzhub library lists this one in its references.
Related studies in Risk factors
Also tagged “prevalence”
1,224 studies in the library carry the topic tag “prevalence”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,224 tagged studies.