Ahtisaari diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease

Former President Martti Ahtisaari has withdrawn from all public engagements after he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, said the office of the President in a statement on Thursday.

“Due to advanced neurodegenerative disease, he is receiving support for everyday life at home and occasionally spends periods of treatment in a care facility. The family has asked for their privacy to be respected,” said the President office in the statement.

The Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), an organization works to prevent and resolve conflicts through dialogue and mediation founded by the former President also released the news of Ahtisaari´s illness.

CMI in a release said that Ahtisaari has been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and, due to advanced memory loss, is being cared for at home, and occasionally in a nursing home.

He served as the Chair of the Board of CMI, the conflict resolution organisation he founded, from 2000 to 2017.

Earlier, in March 2020, Ahtisaari has been diagnosed with coronavirus infection.

Ahtisaari, also a Nobel Laureate, was the 10th President of the country and served from 1994 to 2000. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 for his contribution in international conflict resolution.