Media and community drive awareness

A Childhood Dementia Initiative awareness push in September resulted in millions of people hearing about childhood dementia. The drive for awareness took place in the lead-up to the world’s second Childhood Dementia Day on September 21. Childhood Dementia Day 2022 focused on increased awareness about the condition that takes a life every 11 minutes and shedding light on the challenges faced by families who are exposed to the devastating impacts of the disease. 

Childhood Dementia Initiative released a world-first report ‘State of Childhood Dementia: 2022’ which revealed a dangerous lack of research and appropriate care and support for families living with childhood dementia. It calls on government and health bodies to consider and respond to the devastating impact of childhood dementia on families, communities and the economy.  

A colourful awareness and fundraising campaign, FACE it, also ran through September. The push saw schools, communities, families, and workplaces coming together to paint their faces to make childhood dementia impossible to ignore. Many posted colourful photos of their faces on social media to raise awareness of childhood dementia. 

Supporting the drive was award-winning media agency, The 6AM Agency. The agency lent its expertise on a pro bono basis to help Childhood Dementia Initiative lift awareness and drive action. Coverage during September had a combined media reach of 88.48M and included stories across: 

• ABC TV, ABC Radio and ABC Online
• SBS TV News
• Channel 9 TV News
• Channel 10 News First
• Studio 10
• Radio 2GB, 4BC, 5AA
• The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
• Brisbane Times and WAtoday
• 9Honey

In addition, thanks to interest in Australia and across the world, Childhood Dementia Initiative reached over 1.1M people with information childhood dementia during September.

Childhood Dementia Initiative warmly thanks all who participated in, and donated to, the FACE it campaign in September and the generous team at The 6AM Agency.