Global impact of dementia
Published 14 June 2007
The number of people with Alzheimer’s disease will quadruple to 106 million by the year 2050 when 1 in every 85 people will be living with the disease.
This is according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers also predict that 43 per cent of these individuals will require high-level care, equivalent to that of a nursing home, illustrating the urgent need for more specialist services for people with dementia.
Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society says,
'This latest report paints a stark picture of the impact of Alzheimer's disease on a global scale. With more than 106 million people forecast to have Alzheimer's disease by 2050 and an inevitable increase in the number of carers, we cannot afford to ignore the challenge of the disease.
The Alzheimer's Society's recent Dementia UK report put the current cost of the condition to this country at £17 billion every year. It also predicted a rise in the number of those affected to 1.7 million by 2050.A national dementia strategy must consider the global scale of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. Planning now will save lives in the future. We must invest in dementia services, research, support and training to help ensure we meet the global challenge of dementia.'
