Britain faces a “dementia catastrophe†unless Alzheimer’s is tackled with the
same ‘aggression’ deployed in the fight against Aids, charities have warned today (Feb 9).
A million people in Britain will suffer some form of dementia within two
decades yet research into the condition is under-funded compared to the funding for cancer research, says the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK.
In its report today, the Daily Telegraph says: "12 times as much is spent each year on cancer research, and there are six
times as many scientists working on how to treat tumours. Currently, as many
as two-thirds of people who develop dementia are never diagnosed while the
best treatments can only help reduce symptoms and cannot prevent the
degenerative disease progressing."
At the launch of a campaign by Alzheimer’s Research UK to increase the
“pitifully low†investment in dementia, Sir Terry Pratchett, the author who has early onset Alzheimer’s,
said: “Alzheimer’s is a large number of small tragedies usually played out
behind closed doors, so in spite of the numbers living with it, the world
still doesn’t take much notice.
“When the world was shocked by HIV in the Eighties, we saw a crash programme
of research which has helped tame it enormously. We need the same kind of
aggressive action on dementia now.â€
Currently 820,000 people in Britain are thought to suffer dementia,
progressively losing their memory and struggling to cope with everyday
activities. The most common cause is Alzheimer’s disease.
A million people are likely to develop the condition within the next 15 years
as the population ages and 1.7 million will be living with it by 2051,
placing a significant burden on informal carers, the NHS and care homes.
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of The Alzheimer’s Society, added: “Dementia is
the biggest challenge facing the UK and people are right to be worried. It
is a devastating condition that robs people of their lives. Yet with the
right treatments and support it is possible to live well with dementia. We
must gear up to tackle this challenge by investing in research and support
or else face a dementia catastrophe.â€
www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8311049/Britain-faces-dementia-catastrophe-without-aggressive-research-drive.html