Delegates at the 70th World Health Assembly (May 22-31) endorsed on May 29 a global action plan on the public health response to dementia (2017-2025), and committed to develop and implement ambitious national strategies and plans. The global plan aims to improve the lives of people with dementia, their families and the people who care for them, while decreasing the impact of dementia on communities and countries. Areas for action include: reducing the risk of dementia; diagnosis, treatment and care; research and innovative technologies; and development of supportive environments for care-givers, who.int reported.
Worldwide, around 47 million people have dementia, with nearly 9.9 million new cases each year. Nearly 60% of people with dementia live in low- and middle-income countries. The number of people living with dementia is expected to rise to 131.5 million by 2050.
Costs to treat dementia world-wide are estimated at $818 billion but are expected to soar to $1 trillion by 2018 and to $2 trillion by 2030.
Add new comment
Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints