The number of people who live with dementia worldwide is set to triple from the current 44 million to 135 million by 2050, a report set to tackle the global rise in dementia and identify triggers for treatment, care and funding indicates.
The report prepared by the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), a global initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, says that dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide.
In 2010 the global cost of care reached an estimated $604bn worldwide, equivalent to one per cent global gross domestic product – meaning if dementia care were a country, it would be the world’s 18th largest economy.
With such huge social and financial burdens, WISH aims to lead the world’s healthcare community in addressing this devastating and prevalent disease.
Global understanding of dementia lags behind other diseases, often mistaken as a normal part of aging.
Whilst there continues to be a social stigma surrounding dementia, the level of necessary funding will not be addressed equivalent to the need.
In the US funding for HIV/AIDS research is more than five times the level of that for dementia research, despite the fact there are five times as many Americans with Dementia than with HIV, the report said.
To encourage global focus on this growing epidemic WISH chose dementia as a research theme and appointed Ellis Rubinstein, President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences, as Chair of the Dementia Forum.
Over the past year Rubinstein has led a multidisciplinary team of experts, drawn from around the world to research and provide recommendations about the prevention and treatment of dementia focussing on three core themes; prevention, diagnosis and care, and cure.
The report explores a wide range of dementia-related issues, including the current barriers and challenges to addressing dementia, and innovative solutions; including raising public awareness, care innovations, new financial models and more effective regulatory frameworks.
The report offers 10 key policy recommendations for governments to consider, aimed at improving both outcomes for individuals living with dementia and for economies struggling to pay for the costs of caring for dementia.
“It is clear that there is not one simple panacea for dementia that lies just beyond our reach,” Rubinstein said. “Rather, it will take the concerted and integrated efforts of leaders and innovators in all sectors to move the needle on this extraordinary social and economic challenge.”
Dementia is one of eight reports being presented at the 2015 WISH Summit that took place in Qatar last week, where international health experts, government ministers, academics, clinicians, policy makers and business leaders met to discuss innovative solutions to some of the most pressing global health challenges.
As well as Dementia, WISH has published reports on communicating complex health messages, diabetes, delivering affordable cancer care, patient safety, universal health coverage, mental health and wellbeing in children, and maternal and newborn health.
The ten recommendations suggested by the report on dementia:
1. Develop a plan to address dementia nationally
2. Increase awareness of dementia
3. Expand healthy living to include brain health
4. Improve the evidence base for prevention
5. Improve dementia care
6. Strengthen integrated and coordinated health and social care systems
7. Institute and fund longitudinal studies
8. Reduce barriers to drug development
9. Commit government investment of at least one per cent of a country’s cost of care
10. Facilitate innovative finance mechanisms