Mexico
Mexico operates a universal mixed-financing health system combining public and private payers, social security financed schemes, and mixed provision. Health expenditure stands at 5.72% of GDP, while Alzheimer’s disease and dementia indicators show a prevalence of 559.78 per 100,000, incidence of 101.464 per 100,000, and a death rate of 14.274 per 100,000. The Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) member association is Federación Mexicana de Alzheimer (FEDMA), and the country’s National Dementia Plan. Overall, Mexico’s policy framework emphasizes early detection, standardized care pathways, and strengthened caregiver support and data systems. The Dementia Friends initiative has been adapted to the local cultural context and the country actively participates in international surveys in an effort to better understand dementia awareness in the country.
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 moreMexico’s 2024 National Dementia Plan establishes primary care screening using brief cognitive tests and WHO mhGAP training, with suspected cases referred to specialists for comprehensive assessments, labs, and CT/MRI imaging via standardized referral pathways. Diagnosis often faces 12-month delays due to specialist and imaging access. Cognitive evaluation includes Mini-Cog, MMSE, MoCA, informant-based scales, and specialist neuropsychological batteries. CT is widely available, MRI access uneven, and biomarker PET limited. Genetic testing is rare outside tertiary centres. Insurance covers basic consultations and labs, while implementation efforts aim to standardize access nationwide.
Diagnosis pathway
Under Mexico’s 2024 National Dementia Plan, primary care uses brief cognitive tests and WHO mhGAP training, referring suspected cases to specialists for comprehensive neurocognitive assessments, labs, and CT/MRI imaging, supported by standardized diagnostic referral pathways (“rutas diagnósticas”).
In Mexico, when one presents with symptoms of cognitive decline, the specialist workup typically begins with a detailed clinical history. The clinician proceeds with standardized neurocognitive testing, complemented by laboratory studies to rule out reversible causes such as thyroid dysfunction or vitamin deficiencies. Brain imaging, most often a computed tomography (CT) or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is then used to confirm a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease and to rule out other dementias such as vascular, frontotemporal dementia, or Lewy body dementia.
Recognizing the uneven access to these services across the country, Mexico’s Ministry of Health and the Instituto Nacional de Geriatría (INGER) have begun introducing standardized diagnostic referral pathways, or rutas diagnósticas, in select public hospitals and pilot memory units, mainly within IMSS‑Bienestar facilities and INGER‑affiliated centers in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. These pilot routes aim to streamline early detection, ensure timely specialist referral, and reduce regional disparities in access to comprehensive dementia diagnosis and care.
Wait times
In Mexico, Alzheimer’s diagnoses often face 12-month delays due to specialist referrals and limited regional access to advanced imaging and biomarkers.
Media and an expert commentary have described typical diagnostic delays around 12 months in Mexico, reflecting bottlenecks in referral to specialists and imaging availability.
Regionally, access to biomarkers and advanced imaging is limited to a few centers in Latin America, contributing to longer workups; most diagnoses rely on clinical assessment such as symptom history, physical and neurological examination and basic imaging such as X-rays and standard CT scans, which can be delayed by specialist access constraints
Evidence from Mexico’s Plan Nacional de Demencia 2024 and related legislative and institutional reports shows that diagnostic and specialist services for dementia are heavily concentrated in large urban centers (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey), while rural areas face major shortages of trained personnel, neuroimaging, and referral pathways, creating significant inequities in timely diagnosis and care access.
Diagnosis cost
No specific cost data are available. In practice, health insurance typically covers primary care consultations, basic labs, and referrals; CT/MRI access varies, and specialist visits depend on local capacity. The 2024 National Dementia Plan and 2025 implementation efforts aim to standardize access nationwide.
There is no specific data available about diagnosis cost.
What is covered in practice by the health insurance is primary care consults, basic laboratory tests, and referrals are part of public subsystem services; CT and MRI typically available but with variable waits; specialist visits depend on local capacity. The Plan’s 2024 framework and 2025 implementation push aim to make this more consistent nationally.
Cognitive tests
Cognitive assessment tools in Mexico include the Mini-Cog, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), informant-based functional scales like AD8 and IQCODE, and comprehensive neuropsychological batteries administered in specialist clinics.
Imaging tests
Imaging in Mexico typically involves widely available CT scans, with MRI preferred but inconsistently accessible; biomarker PET is limited to select centres, while most diagnoses rely on clinical evaluation alongside CT or MRI.
Genetic tests
In public healthcare, genetic testing for late-onset Alzheimer’s is uncommon; suspected familial or early-onset cases are referred to tertiary or academic centres, with access varying by state and institution.
Biomarker tests
Limited access to biomarkers.
Cognitive Tests
Cognitive Tests
Cognitive assessment tools in Mexico include the Mini-Cog, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), informant-based functional scales like AD8 and IQCODE, and comprehensive neuropsychological batteries administered in specialist clinics.
Imaging Tests
Imaging Tests
Imaging in Mexico typically involves widely available CT scans, with MRI preferred but inconsistently accessible; biomarker PET is limited to select centres, while most diagnoses rely on clinical evaluation alongside CT or MRI.
Genetic Tests
Genetic Tests
In public healthcare, genetic testing for late-onset Alzheimer’s is uncommon; suspected familial or early-onset cases are referred to tertiary or academic centres, with access varying by state and institution.
Biomarker Tests
Biomarker Tests
Limited access to biomarkers.
Treatment & Care
Treatment & care
Show moreMexico provides specialized memory care through private facilities like Serena Senior Care, Villa Plata, and CasaMar, offering dedicated Alzheimer’s programs, 24/7 staff, therapies, social activities, and bilingual support. Long-term care relies on limited DIF/INAPAM services, with families covering most costs. Caregiver support is offered by FEDMA, Alzheimer México, and Dementia Friends México through education, day centres, support groups, and community awareness initiatives.
Specialized facilities and services
Mexico offers specialized memory care and assisted living through facilities like Serena Senior Care, Villa Plata, Happiness Care Residence, Residencia del Sol, and CasaMar Senior Living, providing dedicated Alzheimer’s/dementia programs, 24/7 staff, therapies, social activities, and bilingual support across multiple states.
Data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (2021) show that only 64.3% of older adults in Mexico have health insurance, highlighting the limited access many face to publicly covered diagnostic and treatment services for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
The public sector operates only a handful of specialized memory units, primarily within the Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía (INNN), the Instituto Nacional de Geriatría (INGER), and a few IMSS/ISSSTE tertiary hospitals in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
In Mexico’s private sector, a growing number of living communities are responding to the needs of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias through specialized care models. In the north, Serena Senior Care, with locations in Rosarito and Tijuana, provides structured care programs tailored to individuals with cognitive decline, focusing on daily support and quality of life.
Further inland, in Guadalajara, Villa Plata operates as a dedicated memory care unit, where staff are specifically trained in Alzheimer’s disease care, offering a more clinical and specialized environment for residents.
Around Lake Chapala, Happiness Care Residence for Seniors offers both short- and long-term stays, including rehabilitation services and dedicated support for people living with dementia, making it a flexible option for families with varying care needs.
Back in Rosarito, Residencia del Sol provides assisted living with 24/7 nursing availability, complemented by therapy services, social activities, and bilingual staff to support an international resident base.
Meanwhile, CasaMar Senior Living in Baja California positions itself within a broader retirement community model, integrating memory care services for residents living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, allowing individuals to transition into higher levels of care as their needs evolve.
Approved medication
| Generic Name | Trade Name | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Lecanemab | Leqembi | Lecanemab is indicated for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease in adult patients that are apolipoprotein E ε4 (ApoE ε4) heterozygotes or non-carriers. |
| 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. |
| Lecanemab, approved but not reimbursed | Leqembi | Lecanemab is indicated for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease in adult patients that are apolipoprotein E ε4 (ApoE ε4) heterozygotes or non-carriers. |
| Donanemab, approved but not reimbursed | Kisunla | Donanemab is indicated for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in adult patients that are apolipoprotein Eε4 (ApoE ε4) heterozygotes or non-carriers. |
*Namzaric = combination of Donepezil and Memantine
Treatment cost
Mexico has no formal long-term care system, relying on DIF/INAPAM for limited support. Private service costs vary widely, and families bear most caregiving expenses, with pricing for services or medications largely unreported.
Mexico lacks a formal Long-Term Care (LTC) system and reliance on DIF/INAPAM for partial services, implying heterogeneous private market pricing and significant family caregiving costs in Mexico. Pricing details on services or medications are not listed in a single place online where healthcare pricing is fragmented between public and private providers and data is not centralized .
Caregiver support
Federación Mexicana de Alzheimer (FEDMA) coordinates associations, day centres, and support groups, collaborates on policy with ADI, while Alzheimer México and Dementia Friends México provide caregiver support, education, and community awareness amid limited formal long-term care coverage.
Federación Mexicana de Alzheimer (FEDMA), the national Alzheimer federation, coordinates 20 affiliated associations, 9 day care centres and 28 support groups across Mexico. It’s part of Alzheimer Iberoamerica and works with Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) on national policy and caregiver support initiatives.
Alzheimer México, Institución de Asistencia Privada (I.A.P.) provides care and education for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and their care partners, aiming to prevent caregiver collapse and improve family functionality; offers stimulation programs and guidance for families.
Dementia Friends México, led with FEDMA and the National Institute of Geriatrics, has trained thousands, including university students, to improve public understanding and engagement with people living with dementia and families, an indirect support to carers through community awareness.
Scholarly review of Mexico’s dementia care preparedness documents isolated policy efforts across public and private organizations and ongoing recommendations to achieve optimal care; underscores the role of DIF and INAPAM but limited formal LTC coverage.
- https://www.alzint.org/member/federacion-mexicana-de-alzheimer-a-c-fedma/
- https://givingcompass.org/project/20011/alzheimer-mexico-learn-and-act
- https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-04/Global-Dementia-Friends-Network_YouthCaseStudies_v5.pdf
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1279770723012678
Policy
Policy
Show moreMexico’s 2025 National Dementia Plan establishes dementia as a public health priority, aiming to reduce stigma, standardize early detection and care, support caregivers, strengthen medical and social services, and expand research and data systems. Implementation faces challenges including limited awareness campaigns, fragmented coordination, constrained resources, developing data systems, and uneven mhGAP-based training across primary care, affecting equitable access, diagnostic consistency, and continuity of care nationwide. The March 2025 Carta de Intención formalizes rollout, with ADI coordinating integration into the 2025–2030 Health Sector Plan.
National dementia plan
Mexico’s national dementia strategy, formalized in 2025, aims to prioritize dementia as a public health issue, reduce stigma, improve information access, standardize early detection and care pathways, enhance medical and social services, support caregivers, and strengthen research and data systems nationwide.
Implementation is being scaled nationally and a 2025 letter of intent formalizes coordinated rollout of the strategy across institutions.
The goals of the national strategy include:
Objective: Promote the wellbeing of people living with dementia and support their families, by establishing dementia as a public health priority and outlining specific strategies within the health system
Awareness and stigma reduction: Increase public understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias to reduce and eliminate stigma and stereotypes, improving acceptance of people living with dementia.
Information access: Improve access to reliable, up-to-date information for health professionals, people living with dementia, and caregivers.
Early detection and standardized care pathways: Promote timely detection at primary care using validated tools, standardize diagnostic and care trajectories, and train health personnel (including use of World Health Organization (WHO)’s mhGAP module).
Comprehensive medical and social care: Improve quality of medical care, social care, long-term care services, and carer support, aligning resources for integrated, cost-effective attention.
Data and research: Strengthen shared information systems and foster research and innovation to inform policy and practice.
- https://www.gob.mx/salud/prensa/instituciones-de-salud-firman-carta-de-intencion-con-la-federacion-mexicana-de-alzheimer-para-implementar-el-plan-nacional-de-demencias-en-mexico?idiom=es
- https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/957102/Plan_Nacional_Demencias_V01-ISBN.pdf
- https://www.gob.mx/inger/documentos/plan-nacional-de-demencia-2024
Upcoming plans
On March 28, 2025, Mexico’s Ministry of Health and civil society organizations formalized a Carta de Intención to implement the National Dementia Plan, with ADI coordinating integration into the 2025–2030 Health Sector Plan, including nationwide training and awareness initiatives.
On March 28, 2025, Mexico’s Ministry of Health marked a step forward in addressing dementia by announcing that national health institutions and civil society organizations had come together to sign a Carta de Intención to implement the Plan Nacional de Demencias. This milestone signalled not just formal endorsement, but a shared commitment to coordinated action and the practical rollout of the plan across the country.
This momentum was reinforced by a meeting held in Mexico City on March 27–28, 2025, convened with the support of ADI. Centred on the theme “Progress and Challenges of the Implementation of Mexico’s National Dementia Plan 2025,” the meeting brought together key stakeholders to assess early efforts and align on next steps. It concluded with renewed commitments to embed dementia more firmly within national health priorities, including its integration into the forthcoming 2025–2030 National Health Sector Plan. Participants also emphasized the need to expand professional training and strengthen nationwide awareness strategies, underscoring a growing recognition of dementia as a public health priority requiring sustained, coordinated action.
- https://www.gob.mx/salud/prensa/instituciones-de-salud-firman-carta-de-intencion-con-la-federacion-mexicana-de-alzheimer-para-implementar-el-plan-nacional-de-demencias-en-mexico?idiom=es
- http://www.alzint.org/news-events/news/strengthening-dementia-advocacy-in-mexico-adi-advances-strategic-partnerships-for-national-implementation/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370680369_Health_and_Social_Care_System_Preparedness_for_Dementia_Care_in_Mexico_Current_Status_and_Recommendations_to_Achieve_Optimal_Care
Policy gaps
Legal barriers
Mexico’s key challenge in dementia policy is the lack of a legally adopted national plan, as the proposed strategy has not been formalized into law, leaving implementation without a mandate or guaranteed funding. Dementia is not explicitly integrated into national health legislation, resulting in voluntary and uneven adoption across institutions and regions, with fragmented service delivery affecting diagnosis and continuity of care. Persistent constraints in funding, workforce, and service capacity further limit implementation, while the absence of standardized data collection or a national registry weakens surveillance, planning, and evaluation of dementia care nationwide.
The most significant challenge is the absence of a legislatively adopted national dementia plan, the proposed National Alzheimer and Other Dementias Plan, developed by the National Institute of Geriatrics, has not been formalized into law. As a result, there is no legal mandate or guaranteed budget to ensure its execution across the federal and state levels
• At the federal level, dementia is not yet codified within national health law, meaning that Alzheimer’s is not prioritized in Mexico’s General Health Law (Ley General de Salud). This legal gap prevents dementia from being systematically integrated into chronic‑disease or mental‑health programs, and implementation remains voluntary for health institutions
• Reports note fragmentation across institutions and regions, with uneven compliance and limited unified execution of the plan’s pathways and training. This affects timely diagnosis and continuity of care across the country
• Persistent challenges in resource allocation, such as budget, workforce, and service capacity, hinder consistent delivery of early detection, standardized care pathways, carer support, and long-term care envisaged by the plan
• There is no legislation requiring standardized dementia data collection or a national registry, resulting in gaps in disease surveillance, inequitable resource allocation, and limited evaluation of policy outcomes
Cultural barriers
In Mexico, limited nationwide awareness efforts mean that stigma and ageism continue to shape perceptions of dementia, with early symptoms often dismissed as normal ageing, delaying diagnosis and care, especially in rural and lower-income communities. Social stigma also discourages open discussion and formal care use, while low public knowledge of symptoms and risk factors contributes to late or missed diagnoses. At the same time, caregiving responsibilities fall disproportionately on women, reinforcing gender inequalities and leaving many without adequate support or respite services.
• Although Mexico’s Plan Nacional de Demencia underscores the importance of raising public awareness, consistent, nationwide campaigns remain limited or absent. As a result, stigma and ageism continue to shape public perceptions of cognitive decline, often leading families to dismiss early symptoms as “normal ageing.” This persistent social stigma delays help‑seeking, reduces participation in screening initiatives, and contributes to late‑stage diagnosis, particularly among older adults in rural and lower‑income communities.
• Social stigma also discourages open discussion and carer acknowledgment, causing institutional care to be seen as neglect or abandonment
• Poor public awareness of dementia symptoms leads to late medical consultations and misdiagnosis. The National Institute of Geriatrics reported that essential information about Alzheimer’s disease prevention, risk factors, and symptom recognition is scarce in rural and low‑income populations, limiting early detection efforts
• Women, especially daughters and wives, carry the caregiving due to entrenched gender roles. This unpaid and undervalued labour amplifies social inequities and leaves many female carers without institutional support or respite resources
Research
Research
Show moreMexican tertiary centres are piloting blood biomarkers like p‑tau217 and Aβ42/40, while the MexOMICS consortium builds national patient registries. Data from Alzheimer’s burden studies and the National Dementia Biobank guide evidence-based policy, research, and diagnostic strategies across Mexico.
Selected academic institutions
Clinical trials and registries
In Mexico, clinical trials are regulated and registered through the Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS), which oversees their authorization, maintains official records, and ensures compliance with national ethical and safety standards. The ClinicalTrials.gov listings for Mexico show a diverse set of ongoing and completed Alzheimer’s disease trials, primarily multicentre, randomized Phase II–III studies testing new drugs, biomarkers, and therapies across different disease stages, from early/preclinical to advanced conditions and related symptoms like psychosis or agitation.
Selected innovative methods
Mexican tertiary centres are piloting blood biomarkers (p‑tau217, Aβ42/40), supported by the MexOMICS consortium’s national registries. Evidence from Alzheimer’s burden studies (1990–2019) and the National Dementia Biobank informs targeted policy, research, and diagnostic initiatives.
Within the broader Latin American Initiative for Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline (LatAm-FINGERS), Mexico plays an important role as one of the participating countries implementing a culturally adapted, multidomain lifestyle intervention to reduce dementia risk. Guided by the framework of the FINGER study, the Mexican arm focuses on at-risk populations, particularly those with cardiovascular and metabolic conditions, by combining nutritional guidance, physical activity, cognitive training, and vascular risk management within the local healthcare context. Through harmonized protocols aligned with other Latin American sites, Mexico contributes to generating region-specific evidence on the feasibility and effectiveness of lifestyle-based prevention strategies, while also addressing national challenges such as health inequalities, diverse populations, and varying access to preventive care.
Evidence from the multinational ReDLat consortium, which includes Mexico, shows that plasma biomarkers such as p-tau217 and Aβ42/40 are being actively studied and validated in clinical cohorts, with findings demonstrating strong diagnostic accuracy when combined with cognitive and neuroimaging data, laying the groundwork for future clinical use in the region. At the same time, the literature consistently emphasizes that in the entire region, these biomarkers remain under-validated and are not yet widely implemented in routine care, being primarily used in research settings and early translational frameworks rather than standardized clinical pathways.
Mexico is advancing data-driven research through the MexOMICS Consortium, which is developing interoperable national patient registries, including TwinsMX, LupusRGMX, and a Parkinson’s disease network, that integrate clinical, genetic, imaging, and sociodemographic data across diverse populations. By combining standardized digital platforms with biobanking, MRI, and cognitive assessments, these registries enable large-scale, population-specific analysis of gene-environment interactions and disease progression. This approach not only strengthens research capacity but also facilitates clinical trial recruitment and supports the gradual transition toward precision medicine, positioning Mexico as a regional leader in applying integrated data infrastructures to complex conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases.
The National Dementia Biobank (BioBanco Nacional de Demencias, BND) represents a key innovative platform in Mexico’s dementia research landscape, functioning as a centralized unit for diagnosis, research, and biological sample collection. Established in collaboration with institutions such as Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), the biobank collects and preserves brain tissue, fluids, and other organs from donors to support neuropathological analysis and biomarker discovery. Its work focuses particularly on mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, such as tauopathies and amyloid-related processes, and aims to enable earlier, non-invasive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. By promoting brain donation and integrating multidisciplinary research (including molecular biology, imaging, and clinical data), the BND provides critical infrastructure for translational research and contributes to the development of future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in Mexico.
Support
Support
Show moreDementia Friends Mexico, an ADI-affiliated initiative, leads public engagement and stigma reduction, recognized at AAIC 2023. Government bodies—Secretaría de Salud and Instituto Nacional de Geriatría (INGER)—support awareness, research, and public communication on Alzheimer’s and dementia nationwide.
Selected national associations, patient family associations, NGOs:
Selected initiatives
Dementia Friends Mexico (ADI-affiliated) is a public engagement initiative aimed at reducing stigma, recognized in the AAIC 2023 highlights for its contributions to dementia awareness in Mexico.
The Dementia Friends
National Dementia Plan
Dedicated media outlets
Mexico’s Secretaría de Salud shares periodic Alzheimer’s awareness updates, while the Instituto Nacional de Geriatría (INGER) provides research, reports, and public communications on dementia and aging.
