Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s dementia care is shaped by one of the most decentralized healthcare systems in Europe, with responsibilities divided between the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Brčko District. This fragmented governance has resulted in substantial regional differences in access to specialist services, diagnostics, reimbursement and long-term care, while the absence of a national dementia strategy means there is no standardized diagnostic pathway or coordinated approach to dementia care. As a result, access to memory services, advanced imaging, biomarkers and newer treatments largely depends on where a patient lives and the resources available within each entity or canton.
Despite these structural challenges, Bosnia and Herzegovina has developed important areas of expertise, particularly through the Sarajevo Center for Dementia, which provides one of the region’s few multidisciplinary dementia-care models integrating medical treatment, cognitive rehabilitation, psychosocial support and caregiver education. Family members remain the primary providers of long-term care, but recent investments in community-based services, most notably the expansion of the Gerontodomaćice programme, are beginning to strengthen home-based support for older adults. Together, these developments demonstrate growing clinical capacity and awareness, although nationwide coordination, equitable access and dedicated dementia policies remain significant unmet needs.
AD Rating
Diagnostic Pathway
Specialized Care
Caregiver Support
National Policies
Access to ATT-s
Highlights
Population
Median age
Health expenditure (% of GDP)
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Show moreBosnia and Herzegovina lacks a nationally standardised dementia diagnostic system, resulting in variable assessment, waiting times, costs, and access to specialist care. Family physicians generally initiate referrals after symptoms become apparent, while limited training and inconsistent use of MMSE, MoCA, and other assessments contribute to reactive diagnosis. Specialist and imaging capacity is concentrated in larger urban centres, creating additional barriers for rural populations. Public insurance covers many standard investigations, but fragmented funding arrangements can create co-payments and administrative obstacles, while private care increases costs. CT and MRI are available, but PET, Alzheimer’s-related genetic testing, and specialised biomarkers are not routinely provided through an established national pathway.
Diagnosis pathway
Across Bosnia and Herzegovina, dementia diagnosis follows a fragmented and largely reactive process, with no unified national pathway or consistent screening approach. Family physicians generally initiate assessment after relatives identify cognitive or behavioural changes, with referrals to neurology, psychiatry, or geriatrics and further cognitive, laboratory, and imaging investigations. Limited training, inconsistent use of standardised tools, and absent national guidance affect diagnostic practice. Specialist capacity is concentrated in larger cities, whereas rural and smaller jurisdictions face greater barriers to timely assessment, follow-up, rehabilitation, and other non-pharmacological support.
There is no unified national dementia diagnostic pathway across Bosnia and Herzegovina. In practice, the typical route begins with family members noticing cognitive or behavioural changes, followed by consultation with a family physician, referral to a neurologist, psychiatrist or geriatric specialist, cognitive assessment and laboratory testing, neuroimaging (CT or MRI) where clinically indicated, and subsequent initiation of treatment and referral to supportive health and social-care services.
Family physicians serve as the formal gateway to the healthcare system. However, dementia is most often identified after relatives report noticeable symptoms rather than through routine cognitive screening in primary care. A 2025 study of healthcare professionals found that dementia care remains largely reactive, with many clinicians reporting limited training, the absence of national clinical guidance, and inconsistent use of standardized cognitive assessment tools.
Access to specialist assessment varies considerably between entities, cantons and municipalities. Patients in larger urban centres, including Sarajevo, Tuzla, Mostar and Banja Luka, can be referred to university clinical centres offering neurology, psychiatry, neuroradiology and laboratory diagnostic services. In contrast, people living in rural areas or smaller administrative jurisdictions often rely on recommendations, follow-up care, cognitive rehabilitation and other non-pharmacological interventions. The centre also delivers education and consultation for family physicians, aiming to strengthen early recognition and timely referral of people with suspected dementia.
Wait times
Waiting times vary across Bosnia and Herzegovina, with workforce constraints and uneven diagnostic capacity contributing to delays. Private services may provide faster access, but increase out-of-pocket costs and inequalities.
No national dementia-specific waiting-time dataset is publicly available. Waiting times differ between entities, cantons, facilities and diagnostic procedures. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s health system remains largely hospital-oriented, while health-worker availability is affected by workforce ageing and emigration. These structural limitations can delay specialist review and advanced diagnostics. Patients may use private neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists or diagnostic imaging centres to bypass public waiting lists. However, this shifts costs to households and reinforces socioeconomic differences in timely diagnosis, especially given that out-of-pocket expenditure accounts for approximately 31% of health spending.
Diagnosis cost
Financial access to dementia diagnosis in Bosnia and Herzegovina is shaped by its fragmented health insurance structure. Public funds generally cover medically indicated primary and specialist consultations, laboratory testing, imaging, and hospital diagnostics, but reimbursement rules and patient contributions differ across jurisdictions. Costs can increase through travel, administrative requirements, non-covered services, or privately obtained assessments and imaging. Although private providers may offer faster access, they transfer costs to patients. High out-of-pocket spending, estimated at around 31% of health expenditure, makes affordability an important barrier to timely diagnosis, particularly for repeated or privately funded assessments.
Diagnostic costs are largely determined by the organization of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s decentralized health insurance system. Insured patients can generally access family medicine consultations, specialist referrals, laboratory investigations, CT and MRI imaging, and hospital-based diagnostic services through the relevant compulsory health insurance fund, provided these services are medically indicated and delivered by contracted public providers. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, compulsory health insurance is administered through ten cantonal health insurance funds, with selected high-cost services financed through the Federal Solidarity Fund, while Republika Srpska and Brčko District each operate a single health insurance fund for their respective jurisdictions. Consequently, reimbursement policies, referral procedures, waiting times and patient co-payments vary depending on where a person resides.
Although the public system covers most standard diagnostic services, the benefits package is not fully harmonized across the country. Patients may incur out-of-pocket costs for services not included on local reimbursement lists, administrative fees, travel to tertiary centres, consultations obtained outside the contracted public network, or private specialist appointments chosen to avoid long waiting times. Access to diagnostic services across cantonal or entity borders may also require additional administrative approval because financing responsibilities are divided among separate insurance funds. Private neurology consultations, neuropsychological assessments and MRI examinations can substantially shorten the diagnostic pathway but are generally paid directly by patients or through voluntary supplementary insurance.4 According to the World Health Organization, out-of-pocket expenditure accounts for approximately 31% of current health expenditure in Bosnia and Herzegovina, indicating that affordability remains a significant barrier to timely and comprehensive dementia diagnosis, particularly for patients requiring repeated specialist assessments or privately financed investigations.
- https://advokat-prnjavorac.com/zakoni/Zakon-o-zdravstvenom-osiguranju-FBiH.pdf
- https://www.paragraf.ba/propisi/republika-srpska/zakon-o-zdravstvenoj-zastiti.html
- https://www.paragraf.ba/propisi/brcko/zakon-o-zdravstvenoj-zastiti-u-brcko-distriktu-bosne-i-hercegovine.html
- https://www.paragraf.ba/propisi/fbih/zakon-o-zdravstvenom-osiguranju.html
- https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/publications/i/health-systems-in-action-bosnia-and-herzegovina
Cognitive tests
There is no nationally mandated cognitive-test battery or standardized dementia screening protocol in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Instead, the selection of assessment tools is determined by individual clinicians and institutional practice. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) are the cognitive screening instruments most commonly used in neurology, psychiatry and memory clinics, often supplemented by functional assessments and informant history. However, their implementation is inconsistent across the country, and there is no evidence that either test is routinely applied in primary care or incorporated into a national case-finding programme. A 2025 qualitative study involving healthcare professionals from Bosnia and Herzegovina found considerable variation in cognitive assessment practices between healthcare institutions. Participants attributed this inconsistency to limited dementia-specific training, the absence of national clinical guidelines, and a lack of standardized screening protocols for family physicians and specialists. The study also highlighted insufficient confidence among primary-care providers in recognising early cognitive impairment, contributing to delayed diagnosis and variable referral patterns. As a result, the quality and timing of cognitive assessment often depend on local expertise, available resources and individual clinician experience rather than a uniform national standard.
Imaging tests
CT and MRI are available in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s principal clinical and regional hospitals and in the private sector. CT and MRI examinations are available at the principal tertiary hospitals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the University Clinical Center Tuzla, University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo, General Hospital “Prim. dr. Abdulah Nakaš” in Sarajevo, and the University Clinical Center of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka. Availability outside these major urban centres is more limited and may require referral to a regional or university clinical centre. Structural imaging may be used to exclude tumours, stroke, hydrocephalus, major vascular disease and other causes of cognitive impairment, and to identify patterns of cerebral atrophy. Access is uneven. University clinical centres in Sarajevo, Tuzla, Mostar and Banja Luka have the strongest radiology and neurological capacity, while patients from smaller communities may require referral to another canton or entity. Fragmented insurance arrangements can complicate authorization and reimbursement for cross-jurisdictional care.
PET imaging exists in limited tertiary or nuclear-medicine contexts, but there is no evidence of a routine nationwide amyloid-PET or tau-PET pathway for Alzheimer’s diagnosis. PET should therefore not be described as a standard diagnostic option for dementia patients in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Genetic tests
APOE genotyping is not part of routine dementia diagnosis. Testing for autosomal-dominant Alzheimer’s disease genes, such as APP, PSEN1 and PSEN2, is also not documented as a routinely funded national service.
Biomarker tests
Routine biomarker-confirmed Alzheimer’s diagnosis is not available nationwide. The Sarajevo Center for Dementia states that the relevant lumbar-puncture testing needed to identify amyloid pathology is not available in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This suggests that analysis of Alzheimer-specific CSF profiles, amyloid-β, phosphorylated tau and total tau, is not part of routine domestic practice. Standard lumbar puncture and general CSF analysis may be available in hospital neurology departments for other clinical indications, but this should not be confused with validated Alzheimer biomarker panels. No national evidence was found of routine plasma p-tau, amyloid-ratio or neurofilament-light testing.
Cognitive Tests
Cognitive Tests
There is no nationally mandated cognitive-test battery or standardized dementia screening protocol in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Instead, the selection of assessment tools is determined by individual clinicians and institutional practice. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) are the cognitive screening instruments most commonly used in neurology, psychiatry and memory clinics, often supplemented by functional assessments and informant history. However, their implementation is inconsistent across the country, and there is no evidence that either test is routinely applied in primary care or incorporated into a national case-finding programme. A 2025 qualitative study involving healthcare professionals from Bosnia and Herzegovina found considerable variation in cognitive assessment practices between healthcare institutions. Participants attributed this inconsistency to limited dementia-specific training, the absence of national clinical guidelines, and a lack of standardized screening protocols for family physicians and specialists. The study also highlighted insufficient confidence among primary-care providers in recognising early cognitive impairment, contributing to delayed diagnosis and variable referral patterns. As a result, the quality and timing of cognitive assessment often depend on local expertise, available resources and individual clinician experience rather than a uniform national standard.
Imaging Tests
Imaging Tests
CT and MRI are available in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s principal clinical and regional hospitals and in the private sector. CT and MRI examinations are available at the principal tertiary hospitals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the University Clinical Center Tuzla, University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo, General Hospital “Prim. dr. Abdulah Nakaš” in Sarajevo, and the University Clinical Center of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka. Availability outside these major urban centres is more limited and may require referral to a regional or university clinical centre. Structural imaging may be used to exclude tumours, stroke, hydrocephalus, major vascular disease and other causes of cognitive impairment, and to identify patterns of cerebral atrophy. Access is uneven. University clinical centres in Sarajevo, Tuzla, Mostar and Banja Luka have the strongest radiology and neurological capacity, while patients from smaller communities may require referral to another canton or entity. Fragmented insurance arrangements can complicate authorization and reimbursement for cross-jurisdictional care.
PET imaging exists in limited tertiary or nuclear-medicine contexts, but there is no evidence of a routine nationwide amyloid-PET or tau-PET pathway for Alzheimer’s diagnosis. PET should therefore not be described as a standard diagnostic option for dementia patients in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Genetic Tests
Genetic Tests
APOE genotyping is not part of routine dementia diagnosis. Testing for autosomal-dominant Alzheimer’s disease genes, such as APP, PSEN1 and PSEN2, is also not documented as a routinely funded national service.
Biomarker Tests
Biomarker Tests
Routine biomarker-confirmed Alzheimer’s diagnosis is not available nationwide. The Sarajevo Center for Dementia states that the relevant lumbar-puncture testing needed to identify amyloid pathology is not available in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This suggests that analysis of Alzheimer-specific CSF profiles, amyloid-β, phosphorylated tau and total tau, is not part of routine domestic practice. Standard lumbar puncture and general CSF analysis may be available in hospital neurology departments for other clinical indications, but this should not be confused with validated Alzheimer biomarker panels. No national evidence was found of routine plasma p-tau, amyloid-ratio or neurofilament-light testing.
Treatment & Care
Treatment & care
Show moreBosnia and Herzegovina has a fragmented dementia-care system, with specialist services and comprehensive support concentrated in a few major centres. The Sarajevo Center for Dementia provides multidisciplinary assessment, treatment recommendations, rehabilitation, follow-up, respite, and caregiver support, while tertiary hospitals offer specialist and diagnostic services. No coordinated national memory-clinic network or consistent dementia-specific residential and home-care model exists, leaving families to manage much of the ongoing care. Decentralised health insurance produces regional differences in reimbursement, and there are no dedicated dementia benefits or comprehensive long-term care entitlements. Households may therefore face costs for medicines, private consultations, rehabilitation, transport, home assistance, and residential care. Informal caregiving remains central, supported by Alzheimer Udruženje AiR and the Sarajevo Center. The 2025 Gerontodomaćice programme also expanded publicly supported home care, although it is not dementia-specific.
Specialized facilities and services
Specialist dementia care in Bosnia and Herzegovina is concentrated in a small number of centres, with significant regional disparities. The Sarajevo Center for Dementia offers the country’s most developed multidisciplinary pathway, covering assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment recommendations, follow-up, rehabilitation, day care, respite, and professional training. Tertiary hospitals in major cities provide additional neurological, psychiatric, diagnostic, and inpatient services, but no coordinated national memory-clinic network is established. Residential and home support comes from public, private, religious, and NGO providers, with limited dementia-specific provision and staffing. Families therefore remain central to coordinating ongoing care, particularly in areas outside the main urban centres.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a limited but gradually expanding network of dementia-related health and social-care services. The country’s most specialized provider is the Sarajevo Center for Dementia, established in 2013 by the Alzheimer Association AiR. It is the only dedicated dementia centre in Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the few in the Western Balkans to provide an integrated, multidisciplinary model of care. The Centre offers comprehensive cognitive assessment and support in determining the dementia subtype, treatment recommendations and clinical follow-up, post-diagnostic counselling, cognitive rehabilitation, a dementia day centre, respite services, memory cafés and other non-pharmacological interventions. In addition to direct patient care, it provides education and consultation for family physicians, hospital staff, social workers, police officers and residential-care personnel to strengthen early recognition and improve dementia care across the healthcare and social-care sectors.
Specialist assessment and treatment are also available through the country’s principal tertiary hospitals, including the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo, University Clinical Center Tuzla, University Clinical Hospital Mostar and University Clinical Center of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka. These institutions provide neurology, psychiatry, neuroradiology, laboratory diagnostics, CT and MRI imaging, inpatient assessment and management of neuropsychiatric symptoms.3456 However, Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a coordinated national network of memory clinics or standardized multidisciplinary dementia services, resulting in considerable regional variation in access to specialist follow-up and post-diagnostic support.
Long-term care is provided through a combination of public gerontology centres, municipal institutions, religious organizations, NGOs and private residential care homes. Major public facilities operate in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar, Tuzla and other larger cities.While many residential institutions accept people living with dementia, relatively few offer dedicated dementia units, specially trained staff or structured cognitive and behavioural support programmes. Consequently, the quality and scope of dementia care vary substantially between facilities, and families often remain responsible for coordinating medical care, supervising daily activities, managing behavioural symptoms and ensuring medication adherence.78910
Home-based care is delivered through municipal social-welfare services, Red Cross branches, Red Crescent branches, Caritas, NGOs and private care providers, although availability remains uneven regional hospitals and may require additional referrals, or seek private providers, to complete a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation. These regional disparities reflect Bosnia and Herzegovina’s highly fragmented healthcare governance and insurance system.
Alongside the public system, the Sarajevo Center for Dementia provides a multidisciplinary diagnostic and care pathway, offering comprehensive cognitive assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment recommendations, follow-up care, cognitive rehabilitation and other non-pharmacological interventions. The centre also delivers education and consultation for family physicians, aiming to strengthen early recognition and timely referral of people with suspected dementia.
Approved medication
| Generic Name | Trade Name | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Donepezil | Aricept, Aricept ODT, Adlarity, Eranz, Memac, Alzepil, Davia, Donecept, Donep, Donepex, Donesyn, Dopezil, Yasnal, Memorit, Pezale, Redumas, Zolpezil, Namzaric* | Donepezil is indicated for the symptomatic treatment of mild to moderately severe Alzheimer’s dementia. |
| Rivastigmine | Exelon, Exelon Patch, Prometax, Rivastach, Nimvastid | Symptomatic treatment of mild to moderately severe Alzheimer’s dementia. Symptomatic treatment of mild to moderately severe dementia in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. |
| Galantamine | Razadyne, Razadyne ER, Reminyl, Reminyl XL, Nivalin, Lycoremine, Galsya | Galantamine is indicated for the symptomatic treatment of mild to moderately severe dementia of the Alzheimer type. |
| Memantine | Namenda, Namenda XR, Ebixa, Memary, Axura, Akatinol, Maruxa, Nemdatine, Namzaric* | Treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. |
*Namzaric = combination of Donepezil and Memantine
Treatment cost
The decentralised financing structure in Bosnia and Herzegovina creates uneven financial protection for people living with dementia. Health insurance funds across the Federation, Republika Srpska, and Brčko District generally cover medically necessary care and medicines included on local reimbursement lists, with federal solidarity funding supporting selected high-cost services. However, coverage is not fully harmonised, and no dementia-specific benefits or comprehensive long-term care scheme exists. Families may therefore incur substantial costs for non-reimbursed medicines, private specialist and diagnostic services, rehabilitation, assistive products, transport, home support, and residential care. Medicine-related out-of-pocket spending is a particular financial burden for lower-income households. As dementia advances, families often provide extensive unpaid care, while professional and private residential services can impose significant additional costs.
Public funding for dementia treatment depends on the health insurance system operating in the patient’s jurisdiction. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, compulsory health insurance is organized through ten cantonal health insurance funds operating under the principles of solidarity and mutuality, while the Federal Health Insurance and Reinsurance Institute administers the Federal Solidarity Fund. The law provides insured persons with access to a basic package of healthcare services, including primary, specialist and hospital care, rehabilitation, medicines and medical aids under conditions established by health insurance regulations. The Federal Solidarity Fund finances selected high-cost specialist services and priority federal health programmes to promote more equitable access across cantons. However, reimbursement of medicines, medical aids and other benefits continues to depend on cantonal health insurance policies and positive reimbursement lists, resulting in regional variation in coverage. The law does not establish dementia-specific benefits, long-term care entitlements or dedicated reimbursement arrangements for Alzheimer’s disease, meaning that patients may still incur substantial out-of-pocket costs for non-covered medicines, private consultations, residential care and home-based support.
In Brčko District, the Health Insurance Fund of Brčko District finances the basic package of healthcare services, contracts healthcare providers and determines the scope of reimbursable medicines and services. In Republika Srpska, the Health Insurance Fund of Republika Srpska (FZO RS) performs the same role as the single compulsory health insurance payer for the entity. Both systems generally cover medically necessary primary, specialist and hospital care, diagnostic procedures, rehabilitation and medicines included on the applicable reimbursement (positive) lists when prescribed in accordance with established criteria. However, medicines that are not included on the relevant reimbursement list, services obtained outside contracted public providers, private specialist consultations, privately funded diagnostic imaging, non-covered rehabilitation services, many assistive products, and most long-term residential and home-care services are usually financed out of pocket.45
Because reimbursement policies are determined separately by the Health Insurance Fund of Republika Srpska, the Health Insurance Fund of Brčko District and the Federation’s cantonal health insurance funds, the level of financial protection for people living with dementia varies across Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Given that healthcare financing is decentralized across 13 health insurance funds, the scope of reimbursement for medicines, specialist consultations, diagnostic procedures and rehabilitation differs between jurisdictions. In addition, health insurance coverage is not universal, leaving some individuals with limited access to publicly financed services.
Patients and their families frequently incur out-of-pocket costs for non-reimbursed or partially reimbursed medicines, private neurological or psychiatric consultations, neuropsychological assessments, diagnostic imaging obtained outside the public system, rehabilitation services, continence products, assistive devices, home modifications and transportation to tertiary centres. Recent WHO analyses found that outpatient medicines remain the single largest driver of catastrophic health expenditure in both the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, particularly among lower-income households, reflecting gaps in medicine reimbursement and user-charge policies.
As dementia progresses, long-term care becomes the principal source of financial burden. Families often assume responsibility for supervision, home-based support and coordination of care, while those requiring professional home-care services or residential placement typically face substantial out-of-pocket expenses. Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a comprehensive national long-term care insurance scheme or dementia-specific financial benefit that automatically provides support following diagnosis, and access to social-care assistance depends on entity, cantonal and municipal regulations.
Residential care costs vary considerably according to ownership, location, accommodation type and the level of care required. Public institutions may provide subsidized accommodation based on pension income or social-welfare assessments, whereas private nursing homes generally require direct monthly payment by residents or their families. Most residential facilities accept people living with dementia, but relatively few provide dedicated dementia units or specialized behavioural care. Consequently, patients with advanced dementia or significant behavioural symptoms may require higher staffing levels or referral to facilities capable of providing more intensive supervision, increasing the overall cost of care.
- https://advokat-prnjavorac.com/zakoni/Zakon-o-zdravstvenom-osiguranju-FBiH.pdf
- https://www.fbihvlada.gov.ba/bosanski/zakoni/1997/zakoni/o%20zdr%20osig(bh).html
- https://fzobrcko.ba/zakoni
- https://www.paragraf.ba/propisi/republika-srpska/zakon-o-obaveznom-zdravstvenom-osiguranju.html
- https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/publications/i/health-systems-in-action-bosnia-and-herzegovina
- https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/978928906276
- https://advokat-prnjavorac.com/Zakon-o-zastiti-mentalnog-zdravlja-Republike-Srpske.html
- https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/978928906276
- https://fctc.who.int/resources/publications/i/item/long-term-care-financing-how-countries-finance-ltc
- https://www.paragraf.ba/propisi/republika-srpska/zakon-o-obaveznom-zdravstvenom-osiguranju.html
- https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/publications/i/health-systems-in-action-bosnia-and-herzegovina
- https://ba.unfpa.org/en/publications/follow-report-situation-care-institutions-persons-intellectual-and-mental-disabilities
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/402647519_Long-term_care_settings_for_older_people_in_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina
Caregiver support
Family members provide most dementia care in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with no nationally guaranteed caregiver allowance, respite entitlement, or comprehensive statutory support. This can create considerable practical and financial pressures, including reduced employment and privately funded assistance. Alzheimer Udruženje AiR and the Sarajevo Center for Dementia provide counselling, education, psychological support, helplines, respite, and peer activities. Community-based support also expanded through the 2025 Gerontodomaćice pilot, which trained 217 home-care assistants. Although not dementia-specific, the programme helps older people remain at home while easing pressure on informal caregivers.
Formal caregiver support is not available uniformly as a statutory national entitlement. Most daily care is provided by spouses, daughters, daughters-in-law and other relatives. Caregivers may have to reduce employment, coordinate medical care and finance private assistance without a dementia-specific allowance or guaranteed respite package. Alzheimer Udruženje AiR and the Sarajevo Center for Dementia provide the most comprehensive specialized caregiver services documented nationally. These include counselling, psychological support for stress and burnout, caregiver education, support meetings, helpline services, respite, workshops and written materials.
A notable recent development is the Gerontodomaćice (home care assistants for older persons) programme, supported by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Federal Employment Institute, UN Women, the Red Cross Society of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and local governments. Following a successful pilot in 2025, during which 217 home care assistants were trained, approximately 50 were employed across 20 municipalities, delivering more than 78,000 home-care services to older adults between April and October 2025. The programme provides assistance with activities of daily living, personal care, household tasks, medication reminders, social interaction and monitoring of vulnerable older people, enabling many to remain in their own homes for longer. Although the programme is not dementia-specific and does not create a legal entitlement to caregiver support, it represents one of the first publicly funded initiatives aimed at expanding community-based long-term care and reducing pressure on informal family caregivers in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- https://www.demencija.org/
- https://www.alzint.org/member/alzheimer-udruzenje-air/
- https://bosniaherzegovina.un.org/en/293442-more-200-home-care-aides-certified-fbih-boosting-elder-care-and-womens-empowerment
- https://fbihvlada.gov.ba/hr/federalno-ministarstvo-drugi-ciklus-programa-gerontodomacice-podrska-starijima-i-nova-radna-mjesta-za-zene
- https://fmrsp.gov.ba/pocela-implementacija-programa-gerontodomacice--pomoc-u-kuci-u-federaciji-bih
Policy
Policy
Show moreBosnia and Herzegovina lacks a coordinated national response to dementia, with no dedicated strategy or action plan and substantial policy fragmentation across the Federation, Republika Srpska, Brčko District, and ten Federation cantons. Existing health, mental health, disability, and social-care frameworks provide relevant general provisions but no dementia-specific standards, diagnostic pathways, specialist networks, or caregiver rights. Although reforms in primary healthcare, e-health, non-communicable disease management, and community-based care could indirectly strengthen services, implementation remains jurisdiction-dependent. The 2016 Sarajevo Declaration prompted discussion of a national strategy, but no subsequent framework has been adopted. Alzheimer Udruženje AiR continues advocacy and awareness work. Cultural barriers compound these structural gaps: dementia is often regarded as normal ageing, while stigma, limited awareness, and insufficient training delay assessment. Ageing, emigration, and smaller households further increase pressure on informal family caregivers.
National dementia plan
Dementia remains absent from dedicated strategic planning across Bosnia and Herzegovina. State, entity, and Brčko District authorities rely on broader policies covering mental health, disability, social protection, healthy ageing, and social inclusion, none of which provides a dementia-specific action plan, funding framework, or implementation mechanism. Efforts towards a national approach followed a 2016 Sarajevo symposium and Declaration on Dementia, but no national strategy has subsequently been adopted. The country’s highly decentralised governance presents a major barrier to coordinated dementia policy, as healthcare and social protection responsibilities are distributed between the Federation, Republika Srpska, Brčko District, and ten Federation cantons. Consequently, approaches to dementia care, reimbursement, and service availability differ substantially across jurisdictions.
There are no dementia strategies at any level of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina, not at the state level, nor in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska, or Brčko District.
In the Federation, Dementia is addressed only indirectly through general health, disability and social protection policies. The Policy and Strategy for the Protection and Promotion of Mental Health in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2012–2020) establishes a framework for reforming mental healthcare and is highly consistent with modern dementia care principles, even though Alzheimer’s disease or dementia are not identified as priority conditions. The most relevant framework is the Strategy for the Advancement of the Rights and Status of Persons with Disabilities 2025-2030, which promotes accessible healthcare, community-based services and social inclusion for persons with disabilities but does not contain dementia-specific objectives or actions.
While Republika Srpska has no dementia strategy, it does have several health strategies that could support future dementia policy. These include the Strategy for Enhancing Mental Health 2020-2030, which focuses on strengthening community mental health services, protecting patients’ rights and improving mental healthcare delivery, and broader health policy documents that identify healthy ageing, elderly care and non-communicable diseases as priorities. None of these documents establishes a dementia action plan, standardized diagnostic pathway or dedicated dementia services.
Brčko District also has no dementia strategy or Alzheimer’s policy. Dementia care is delivered under the general health and social care framework. The most relevant strategic document is the Social Inclusion Strategy of Brčko District 2021–2027, which promotes improved access to healthcare and social services for vulnerable groups, including older persons, but does not include dementia-specific goals, funding mechanisms or implementation measures.
Efforts to develop a national strategic approach have been discussed for several years. According to Alzheimer Europe, a national scientific symposium on dementia held in Sarajevo in October 2016 resulted in the adoption of a Declaration on Dementia and initiated discussions with health and social-policy authorities on establishing a multidisciplinary working group to prepare a national dementia strategy.67 However, no national strategy or action plan has subsequently been adopted or published, and no formal nationwide implementation framework currently exists.
The country’s highly decentralized constitutional structure presents a significant challenge to policy development and implementation. Responsibility for healthcare and social protection is divided between the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska, Brčko District and, within the Federation, ten cantonal governments, each with substantial autonomy over healthcare financing and service delivery. As a result, dementia policies, reimbursement arrangements and service availability vary considerably across jurisdictions.
- https://fmoh.gov.ba/uploads/files/Politika_i_Strategija_mentalno%20zdravlje_FBiH.pdf
- https://fmoh.gov.ba/stranica/21/strategije-i-politike
- https://bosniaherzegovina.un.org/en/download/201900/309857
- https://vladars.rs/sr-SP-Cyrl/Vlada/Ministarstva/MZSZ/Documents/Politika%20mentalnog%20zdravlja.pdf
- https://www.unicef.org/bih/izvje%C5%A1taji/strategije-socijalnog-uklju%C4%8Divanja
- https://www.demencija.org/inicijative-izjave/sarajevska-deklaracija-o-demenciji-zapadnog-balkana
- https://www.alzheimer-europe.org/policy/national-dementia-strategies/bosnia-and-herzegovina
- https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/publications/i/health-systems-in-action-bosnia-and-herzegovina
Upcoming plans
Bosnia and Herzegovina has no announced timetable for a national dementia strategy, but wider healthcare and social-care reforms could strengthen dementia services indirectly. Current priorities include primary-care reform, non-communicable disease management, digital health, improved system coordination, and expanded community and home care. Alzheimer Udruženje AiR remains the leading civil-society advocate, supporting policy development through the Sarajevo Center for Dementia, awareness initiatives, professional education, and the International Congress on Dementia. The Gerontodomaćice programme also represents progress towards community-based care. After training 217 assistants and delivering 78,692 services in 2025, the Federal Ministry announced plans to expand the programme across the Federation, increasing access to trained home-care workers and supporting older people to remain at home longer.
No formally announced national dementia strategy or dementia action plan with a defined publication timeline has been identified. Nevertheless, several ongoing health and social-care reforms could strengthen dementia care indirectly. Current reform priorities include reinforcing primary healthcare, improving the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases, expanding electronic health records and other e-health services, improving coordination between different levels of the healthcare system, and strengthening community-based long-term care and home-care services. Although these initiatives are not dementia-specific, they could improve earlier diagnosis, continuity of care and access to support for people living with dementia.
Civil society continues to play an important role in advocating for a national dementia response. Alzheimer Udruženje AiR has remained the country’s leading advocacy organization through the operation of the Sarajevo Center for Dementia, public awareness campaigns, professional education and international collaboration. The organization has organized the International Congress on Dementia (iCoDem), promoted implementation of the 2016 Sarajevo Declaration on Dementia and participated in regional initiatives aimed at improving dementia policy and care.
Another relevant development is the planned expansion of the Gerontodomaćice programme through continued cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Red Cross of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federal Employment Institute.
On 30 October 2025, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy presented the second cycle of the programme in partnership with UN Women Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Red Cross of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Federal Employment Institute. Training for the new cohort was scheduled to take place from 11–21 November 2025, followed by a public recruitment process for certified home-care assistants. The programme aims to expand home-based support for older people, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups while simultaneously creating employment opportunities, particularly for women. It forms part of a broader effort to strengthen the care economy, professionalize community social services and promote deinstitutionalization by enabling older adults to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. Following the successful pilot, in which 217 home-care assistants were certified and 50 were employed across 20 municipalities, the Federal Ministry announced plans to gradually extend the programme throughout all municipalities in the Federation. Between April and October 2025, programme participants delivered 78,692 home and social-care services, including assistance with personal care, household tasks, medication and food procurement, accompaniment to medical appointments, social support and community participation. Although the programme is not dementia-specific, its continued expansion is expected to strengthen community-based support for people living with dementia and reduce reliance on institutional care by increasing the availability of trained home-care workers.
- https://www.demencija.org/inicijative-izjave/sarajevska-deklaracija-o-demenciji-zapadnog-balkana
- https://ff.unsa.ba/files/15-16/nirmas/sept/PROGRAM_ODRZAVANJA_NAUCNOG_SIMPOZIJA_O_DEMENCIJI_U_BIH.pdf
- https://demencija.net/a/internacionalni-kongres-o-demenciji-u-sarajevu-rujan-2022-mozete-besplatno-sudjelovanje-edukacija-demencija-strucnjak
- https://bosniaherzegovina.un.org/en/293442-more-200-home-care-aides-certified-fbih-boosting-elder-care-and-womens-empowerment
- https://fmrsp.gov.ba/pocela-implementacija-programa-gerontodomacice--pomoc-u-kuci-u-federaciji-bih
- https://fbihvlada.gov.ba/hr/federalno-ministarstvo-drugi-ciklus-programa-gerontodomacice-podrska-starijima-i-nova-radna-mjesta-za-zene
- https://fmrsp.gov.ba/pocela-implementacija-programa-gerontodomacice--pomoc-u-kuci-u-federaciji-bih
Policy gaps
Legal barriers
The absence of a unified legal framework is a major obstacle to dementia care in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Responsibilities for healthcare and social protection are distributed across the Federation, Republika Srpska, Brčko District, and ten Federation cantons, each operating under separate legislation, institutions, and insurance arrangements. General health laws provide for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and community care, while Republika Srpska’s mental health legislation adds rights and safeguards. However, none establishes dementia-specific diagnostic pathways, memory clinics, multidisciplinary teams, care coordination, post-diagnostic support, or comprehensive caregiver rights. Social protection laws likewise provide only general assistance and long-term care provisions. As a result, dementia is managed within broader health and social-care systems, with significant differences in access, reimbursement, and service availability between jurisdictions.
The principal legal and institutional barrier to dementia care in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the country’s highly decentralized governance system. Responsibility for healthcare and social protection is divided between the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Brčko District, while the Federation further devolves most healthcare responsibilities to its ten cantons. Consequently, Bosnia and Herzegovina has no single ministry of health, national health insurance fund or national social-care authority with the legal mandate to establish or implement uniform dementia policy across the country. Instead, healthcare financing and service delivery are managed through multiple ministries and health insurance funds operating under separate legal frameworks, resulting in differences in reimbursement, eligibility criteria and service availability depending on the patient’s place of residence. The legal framework governing health and social care therefore consists of separate entity and district legislation rather than a single national system.
The Law on Health Care guarantees the right to healthcare, emphasizes disease prevention, early detection, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care, and organizes services across primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Primary healthcare is centred on family medicine and community-based services, with responsibility for prevention, diagnosis, rehabilitation, home treatment and palliative care. However, the law does not establish dementia-specific diagnostic pathways, memory clinics, multidisciplinary dementia teams or post-diagnostic support services.
The Federation’s legislation also requires primary healthcare to be delivered through multidisciplinary teams and recognizes community mental health, home treatment and rehabilitation as components of primary care. Nevertheless, it provides no specific legal framework for dementia care coordination, case management or integrated health and social-care pathways. The law contains no provisions defining responsibilities for cognitive assessment, referral to specialist dementia services, follow-up after diagnosis or coordination between health and social-care providers.
The Law on Health Care of Brčko District similarly establishes a comprehensive legal framework for the organization and financing of healthcare but does not contain dementia-specific provisions. The law guarantees access to primary, specialist-consultative and hospital healthcare, medical rehabilitation and medicines included on the essential medicines list, while emphasizing prevention, treatment and rehabilitation through the public health system. It also confirms the role of the Brčko District Health Insurance Fund in defining the basic package of health services, contracting healthcare providers and determining service standards. Family physicians function as the first point of contact within the healthcare system and referrals are generally required for specialist care. However, the legislation does not establish dementia-specific diagnostic pathways, memory clinics, multidisciplinary dementia teams, post-diagnostic support, caregiver rights or specialized standards for dementia care. Instead, dementia is managed within the general healthcare framework, with the scope of services determined by annual decisions of the Health Insurance Fund and the Department of Health rather than by dedicated dementia legislation.
Republika Srpska’s Law on the Protection of Mental Health (Official Gazette No. 67/20) provides a modern legal framework for the promotion of mental health, prevention, early detection, medical intervention, social inclusion and the protection of the rights of people with mental health conditions. The law guarantees equal access to mental healthcare, protection of dignity, confidentiality of medical information, participation in treatment planning, informed consent and individualized recovery plans, while emphasizing multidisciplinary and community-based care. It also requires psychiatrists to assess a person’s capacity to provide informed consent before medical interventions and establishes legal safeguards for involuntary treatment. However, the legislation is not dementia-specific. It does not establish standardized dementia diagnostic pathways, memory clinics, post-diagnostic support services, multidisciplinary dementia teams, caregiver rights, advance care planning or specific legal standards governing cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Consequently, people living with dementia rely on the general mental health and healthcare framework rather than dedicated dementia legislation.
Social services and long-term care are likewise regulated through separate social protection laws in the Federation, Republika Srpska and Brčko District, with additional responsibilities delegated to cantonal governments in the Federation. Although these laws establish general rights to healthcare, disability support and social assistance, none contains a comprehensive dementia-specific framework or establishes nationally standardized dementia pathways.
This institutional fragmentation remains one of the principal obstacles to developing a coordinated national dementia response and contributes to significant regional inequalities in diagnosis, treatment, long-term care and caregiver support.
- https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/publications/i/health-systems-in-action-bosnia-and-herzegovina
- https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289059114
- https://mcp.gov.ba/en/about-healthcare-sector
- https://www.paragraf.ba/propisi/fbih/zakon-o-zdravstvenoj-zastiti.html
- https://www.paragraf.ba/propisi/brcko/zakon-o-zdravstvenom-osiguranju-brcko-distrikta-bosne-i-hercegovine.html
- https://advokat-prnjavorac.com/Zakon-o-zastiti-mentalnog-zdravlja-Republike-Srpske.html
- https://www.lawgratis.com/blog-detail/health-care-law-at-bosnia-and-herzegovina
- https://mcp.gov.ba/en/about-healthcare-sector
Cultural barriers
Dementia awareness and stigma remain important barriers to timely diagnosis in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Cognitive decline is frequently regarded as an expected part of ageing, while limited professional training can reinforce reactive rather than early assessment. Families are generally expected to provide long-term care, despite limited formal respite and support. Population ageing, emigration, and changing household structures have further reduced available caregivers, particularly in rural areas. Post-war trauma and depression may complicate recognition of dementia symptoms, although evidence directly linking trauma to diagnostic delays is limited. Localised awareness initiatives and fragmented healthcare provision further contribute to delayed diagnosis and unequal access to specialist care.
Cultural barriers to timely dementia diagnosis and care in Bosnia and Herzegovina are largely shared across Bosniak, Serb and Croat communities rather than being specific to any ethnic or religious group. Dementia is frequently perceived as a normal consequence of ageing rather than a medical condition requiring assessment, contributing to delayed help-seeking and underdiagnosis. A 2025 qualitative study found that dementia care remains largely reactive, with families often seeking medical attention only after cognitive decline has substantially affected daily functioning. Healthcare workers identified limited public awareness, stigma surrounding cognitive impairment and insufficient professional training as important barriers to early diagnosis, recommending nationwide awareness campaigns and culturally adapted cognitive assessment tools.
Strong cultural expectations that families should care for older relatives continue to shape dementia care throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. Family members remain the primary caregivers, while formal long-term care, respite services and structured post-diagnostic support are limited and unevenly distributed. The country’s post-war demographic changes have further increased pressure on informal care: population ageing, the emigration of younger generations and shrinking multigenerational households have reduced the availability of family caregivers, particularly in rural areas. The legacy of the 1992–1995 conflict has also left many older adults with a history of psychological trauma, depression or post-traumatic stress symptoms, which may complicate recognition of dementia symptoms and contribute to delays in seeking specialist assessment. Although direct evidence linking war trauma to delayed dementia diagnosis is limited, the overlap between trauma-related cognitive symptoms, depression and neurodegenerative disease highlights the importance of multidisciplinary assessment. Studies of informal caregivers similarly demonstrate substantial caregiver burden, particularly among middle-aged women providing long-term care for dependent older adults. There is no evidence that caregiving practices differ systematically between Muslim, Orthodox Christian or Catholic communities.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s post-conflict governance and fragmented healthcare system further reinforce these cultural barriers. Dementia awareness initiatives remain largely local rather than nationwide, while separate health systems in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Brčko District contribute to unequal access to specialist services, public education and support programmes. The Federation’s Policy and Strategy for the Protection and Promotion of Mental Health recognizes stigma reduction, community-based care, psychosocial rehabilitation and public education as strategic priorities, reflecting the broader need to strengthen mental health following the war, but it does not include dementia-specific objectives. Together, these cultural, demographic and structural factors contribute to delayed diagnosis, continued reliance on informal family care and persistent inequalities in access to dementia services across the country.
Research
Research
Show moreResearch and quality-monitoring infrastructure for dementia remains underdeveloped in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with no clearly identified active Alzheimer’s drug trial and no national dementia quality registry reported. The Sarajevo Center for Dementia represents a notable exception in service innovation, bringing together neurological, psychiatric, psychological, and social expertise. Its integrated model combines assessment, cognitive rehabilitation, psychosocial and creative activities, caregiver education, and practical support, with non-pharmacological interventions complementing medication. This coordinated, person-centred approach aims to preserve independence and quality of life and remains relatively uncommon nationally.
Selected academic institutions
Clinical trials and registries
No active Bosnia and Herzegovina-based Alzheimer drug trial was clearly identified in major public trial resources during this review. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also listed as having no national dementia quality registry or available dementia-registry information in a European review of dementia-care registries.
Selected innovative methods
An innovative feature of dementia care in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the Sarajevo Center for Dementia’s multidisciplinary approach. The Centre brings together medical, psychological, social, and rehabilitation services, with cognitive stimulation, structured activities, psychosocial support, and caregiver counselling integrated into care. Its emphasis extends beyond medication towards preserving independence and quality of life. Caregivers receive education and practical guidance on communication, behavioural symptoms, and daily care. This coordinated model contrasts with the fragmented specialist and social-care services available elsewhere in the country.
The Sarajevo Center for Dementia represents Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most innovative dementia-care model by integrating medical, psychological and social interventions within a single multidisciplinary service. Unlike conventional outpatient neurology or psychiatry clinics, the Centre combines specialist medical assessment with individualized cognitive rehabilitation, occupational and creative activities, psychosocial support, caregiver education and counselling, aiming to preserve functional independence and quality of life for as long as possible. Its care model explicitly prioritizes non-pharmacological interventions, including cognitive stimulation, reminiscence activities, social engagement and structured daily routines, as an essential complement to medication, reflecting international best practice for dementia management.
The Centre also places strong emphasis on supporting informal caregivers through education, counselling and practical guidance on communication, behavioural symptoms and everyday care, recognizing caregivers as an integral part of dementia management rather than passive observers. By bringing together neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other professionals within a coordinated framework, it demonstrates a multidisciplinary approach that remains uncommon elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where dementia care is generally fragmented across primary care, neurology, psychiatry and social welfare services.
Support
Support
Show moreBosnia and Herzegovina’s dementia advocacy landscape combines specialist organisations with broader community and social-care initiatives. Alzheimer Udruženje AiR and the Sarajevo Center for Dementia are the principal dementia-focused organisations, providing awareness campaigns, caregiver counselling, professional education, and the #PrijateljDemencije dementia-friendly communities initiative. The Red Cross, Caritas, UN Women BiH, and other partners contribute to wider support for older and vulnerable people. A notable recent development is the Gerontodomaćice programme, which trains home-care assistants to provide practical, household, and social support, including to people living with dementia. Awareness activities are particularly prominent during World Alzheimer’s Month. At policy level, the 2018 Sarajevo Declaration established key priorities for national dementia strategies, earlier diagnosis, caregiver support, community care, research, and regional cooperation. However, these efforts have not yet resulted in a national dementia strategy.
Selected national associations, patient family associations, NGOs:
Selected initiatives
Dementia advocacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina centres on awareness, education, caregiver support, and community-based services. The Sarajevo Center for Dementia and Alzheimer Association AiR organise World Alzheimer’s Month activities and lead initiatives such as #PrijateljDemencije, alongside professional training, caregiver counselling, and public education. Community care has also expanded through the Gerontodomaćice programme, which provided 18,610 services across 22 Federation municipalities in October 2025 and began a further training cycle the following month. At policy level, the 2018 Sarajevo Declaration remains a key milestone, calling for stronger diagnosis, caregiver support, community care, research, and national dementia strategies. Despite these efforts, Bosnia and Herzegovina has yet to establish a dedicated national dementia strategy.
World Alzheimer's Month Campaigns
Each September, the Sarajevo Center for Dementia, Alzheimer Association AiR and partner institutions organize activities marking World Alzheimer's Month and World Alzheimer's Day. Recent campaigns have included public awareness events, educational workshops, caregiver training, professional education for healthcare workers, media outreach and advocacy for earlier diagnosis and stronger dementia policies. The initiatives also promote brain health, reduce stigma and encourage timely recognition of dementia symptoms.
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Expansion of the Gerontodomaćice Programme
The Gerontodomaćice programme represents Bosnia and Herzegovina's largest recent investment in community-based care for older adults. Implemented by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, in partnership with UN Women, the Federal Employment Institute and the Red Cross Society of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the initiative trains and certifies home-care assistants who provide support with personal hygiene, household tasks, shopping, medication collection, companionship and social inclusion. During October 2025, the programme delivered 18,610 home-care services to older and vulnerable people across 22 municipalities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Building on the successful pilot, a second training cycle was launched in November 2025 with the goal of training and employing an additional 50 certified gerontodomaćice, further expanding community-based support for older people, including those living with dementia.
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Sarajevo Center for Dementia and #PrijateljDemencije Initiative
Since its establishment, the Sarajevo Center for Dementia and the Alzheimer Association AiR have led Bosnia and Herzegovina's principal dementia-awareness, education and caregiver-support initiatives. Their activities include the Dementia Master Class for healthcare professionals and caregivers, multidisciplinary education programmes, caregiver counselling, scientific meetings and the national #PrijateljDemencije (Dementia Friend) campaign, which promotes dementia-friendly communities through public education and community engagement while encouraging better recognition and understanding of dementia.
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Western Balkans Dementia Strategy Conference and Sarajevo Declaration
In April 2018, Sarajevo hosted the high-level expert meeting "Dementia in the Western Balkans and Adoption of National Dementia Strategies/Plans", organized by the Sarajevo Center for Dementia with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) and Alzheimer Europe (AE). The conference brought together government representatives, clinicians and Alzheimer associations from across the region and resulted in the Sarajevo Declaration on Dementia, which called for national dementia strategies, improved early diagnosis, strengthened caregiver support, community-based care, greater investment in research and enhanced regional cooperation. Although Bosnia and Herzegovina has yet to adopt a national dementia strategy, the conference remains the country's most significant dementia policy initiative and laid the foundation for subsequent advocacy efforts.
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- https://www.demencija.org/
- https://www.alzheimer-europe.org/news/alzheimer-udruzenja-air-celebrates-world-alzheimers-month-bosnia-and-herzegovina
- https://fmrsp.gov.ba/otvorene-prijave-za-obuku-gerontodomacice/
- https://www.vijesti.ba/clanak/722377/drugi-ciklus-programa-gerontodomacice-podrska-starijima-i-nova-radna-mjesta-za-zene
- https://www.facebook.com/unwomenbih/posts/u-okviru-projekta-gerontodoma%C4%87icetokom-oktobra-2025-godine-pru%C5%BEeno-je-18610-uslu/1153022026959018/
- https://www.prijatelj-demencije.org/
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/235885003602375/
- https://zada.ba/foto-galerija/strucni-ekspertski-sastanak-pod-nazivom-demencija-u-regionu-zapadnog-balkana-i-usvajanje-nacionalnih-strategija-planova-u-borbi-protiv-demencije/
Dedicated media outlets
Bosnia and Herzegovina has no independent national media outlet dedicated exclusively to dementia. The most specialized sources of dementia-related information are the Sarajevo Center for Dementia, Alzheimer Udruženje AiR, Alzheimer BiH social media channels, Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), Alzheimer Europe, and communications published by universities, clinical centres and public health institutes. Dementia, ageing and caregiver issues are periodically covered by mainstream national media as well as regional public broadcasters and local news portals.
