凯瑞·穆里根 | 呼吁提高全球痴呆症意识

Your Excellency, United Nations Secretary General, Your Excellency, executive director of UN Women, ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to be here today to support the unite campaign. As we all agree when it comes to protecting women from violence, we should leave no one behind. I’m here today to speak for women left behind because of ignorance, because of prejudice, because they have simply dealt a card that gave them a medical condition “dementia”.

尊敬的联合国秘书长、联合国妇女署署长、女士们、先生们，我非常荣幸能来到这里支持这项活动。既然我们都认同要保护女性不受到暴力侵害的观点，就绝不能丢下任何一个人。今天，我来到这里想要为那些因为无知、因为偏见、因为身患“失智症”而被抛下的女性们呼吁。

I’ve experienced first time how devastating dementia can be is my grandmother nans lived with Alzheimer and passed away earlier this year. For too many years, dementia has been dismissed as a natural part of aging. It’s not. Dementia is a global health priority affecting millions. One person develops dementia every three seconds.

我切身体会过“失智症”所带来的绝望：我的外婆身患阿兹海默症，并于今年早些时候离开了人世。多年以来，“失智症”被误认为是自然变老的现象。实际上并不是。“失智症”是一种影响了百万人民的国际首要健康问题。每三秒钟就会有一个人开始显现“失智症”的症状。

As a UK Alzheimer’s Society ambassador, I’ve seen perceptions start to shift. There is growing recognition of the scale of the problem exemplified by the adoption of the World Health Organization’s recent global action plan on dementia.

作为一名英国阿兹海默症社区大使，我注意到人们的观念开始发生转变。越来越多的人开始从世界卫生组织最近的一项针对“失智症”的全球性行动来了解 “失智症”的衡量标准。

Yet a key issue continues to be overlooked: Women are disproportionately affected by dementia. More women than men live with the condition. They provide the majority of care support and they face the greatest stigma. This is why I’m supporting the Global Alzheimer’s and dementia Action Alliance to champion this urgent cause for women.

但是有一个关键问题仍被忽视：女性与男性患上“失智症”的比例不均衡。女性比男性更容易患上“失智症”。她们为社会付出了最大程度的关爱与支持，收获的却是最严重的污名。这就是我为什么要支持“阿兹海默症与失智症行动联盟”，并和他们一起支持这个对女性来说刻不容缓的议题。

I was recently made aware of a woman who lives in South Africa and cares for her older sister with advanced dementia. They’ve been outcast, because the community in which they live view her symptoms as evidence of a terrible curse. This is happening in many countries. Dementia stigma exists universally and can lead to abuse and violence against women.

我最近认识了一位居住在南非的女性，她照顾着她身患晚期“失智症”姐姐。她们现在已经无家可归了，因为她们的社区将姐姐的症状视作一种可怕的诅咒。很多国家都会发生这种事。“失智症”的污名在全球广泛存在，并且会导致针对女性的凌辱和暴力的发生。

I’ve heard reports of women with dementia across the world being mistreated, assaulted, having their assets seized, accused of witchcraft, and even murdered, all due to the combination of their condition and gender.

我经常听到世界各地身患“失智症”的女性的新闻，她们被虐待、被侮辱、被限制财产、被指控使用巫术、甚至被杀害。这一切都是因为她们的病症和性别。

I appeared in a short film on dementia recently with Kiki Edwards, a leading advocate in Nigeria. Kiki speaks out for women with dementia symptoms who were accused of witchcraft, and reports the women with dementia being stoned or even burnt to death. Kiki herself has been accused of witchcraft simply because she supports those with the condition.

我最近在一部关于“失智症”的微电影中与Kiki Edwards一同出境，她是一名尼日利亚的活动的主要拥护者。Kiki为那些被指控为使用巫术的“失智症”女性患者呼吁，并报道了“失智症”患者被处以石刑、甚至是焚烧致死的情况。Kiki她自己也被指控使用巫术，仅仅因为她对那些患者表示了支持。

To end violence against women with dementia, awareness is vital. Communities must recognize that dementia is a medical condition. The UK has championed global action on dementia, and I am honored the UK government appointed me as a Global Dementia Friends Ambassador. “Dementia Friends” is a program that increases understanding of dementia. And now 27 countries are changing how people think, act, and talk about the condition.

要杜绝针对“失智症”的暴力行为，“大众认知”是关键。社会必须要意识到“失智症”只是一种疾病。英国已经开始提倡关于“失智症”的全球行动了，而我非常荣幸地被英国政府任命为“全球失智症友好大使”。“成为失智症患者的朋友”。这个项目提高了人们对“失智症”的认识。现在有27个国家正在改变本国人民对于“失智症”的看法、行为和话语。

Without action, the world is woefully underprepared for the dementia crisis, and we risk leaving some of the most underserved and marginalized women behind. I hope governments and civil societies partners around the world get behind this global challenge and unite for world with no woman faces violence because of her dementia. I believe that dementia is a global women’s health and human rights issue that can no longer be ignored. Thank you very much.

如果不行动，整个世界就无法对抗“失智症”危机，一些备受忽视和排斥的女性也将被我们抛弃。我希望各国的政府和民间团体都能重视这项全球性的挑战，并联合起来，拯救因身患“失智症”而遭受暴力的女性。我坚信“失智症”是再不能被忽视的国际化女性健康和人权问题。非常感谢。