DEMENTIA EPIDEMIC: TIME TO ACT

When you think of a global epidemic what comes to mind? Many think of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that has caused a worldwide death toll so severe that the World Health Organization has been actively surveying and reporting on the disease since the early 1980s. Recently, news sources and health organizations have been reporting on a new global epidemic, expected to affect the lives of more than 135 million elderly people by 2050: dementia.

According to a recent article produced by Reuters, studies conducted by The Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) estimated a 17% increase in the number of people who suffer from dementia compared to 2010 and is anticipated to “get worse” over the next several decades. A supplemental report by Martin Price, an English professor of psychiatry, indicates that most nations are unprepared to deal with the rise of dementia, with only 13 world nations having national dementia plans.

Unfortunately, lack of funding has caused a lag in dementia research and treatment innovations. Currently, Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, has no cure. The ADI is calling for the World Health Organization to make dementia a priority and act swiftly so that world nations are more apt to deal with the epidemic.