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35 million people worldwide are living with dementia
A new global
prevalence estimate highlights the need for action and response:
35 million people worldwide – a 10% increase over 2005 – are
living with Alzheimer's and dementia. According to the 2009
World Alzheimer Report, released from Alzheimer's Disease
International (ADI), the number of people with Alzheimer's is
expected to nearly double every 20 years, to 65.7 million in
2030 and 115.4 million in 2050.
"The number of people affected by Alzheimer's is growing at a rapid rate, and the increasing personal costs will have significant impact on the world's economies and health care systems. We must make the fight against Alzheimer's a priority here in the United States and worldwide," said Harry Johns, President and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association. "We must take action against Alzheimer's now."
Worldwide, the economic cost of dementia has been estimated as $315 billion annually. The total annual costs per person with dementia have been estimated as $1,521 in a low income country, rising to $4,588 in middle income countries, and $17,964 in high income countries. (Anders Wimo, et al. "An Estimate of the Total Worldwide Societal Costs of Dementia in 2005." Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. Volume 3, Issue 2, April 2007.)
With 77 million
American baby boomers reaching the age of greatest risk,
it is clear that the crisis of dementia and Alzheimer's cannot
be ignored. Left unchecked, dementia and Alzheimer's will impose
enormous burdens on individuals, families, health care infrastructures
and the worldwide economy. The United States government should
commit to making Alzheimer's disease a health care priority
and the next step is to pass the
Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act.
Write Congress now and urge your representatives to support the Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act.
The Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act introduced in the Senate by
Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Christopher "Kit"
Bond (R-MO) and in the House by Representatives Edward Markey
(D-MA) and Christopher Smith (R-NJ) seeks to increase funding
for Alzheimer’s at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to
$2 billion, which would be a significant step in restoring
momentum in the pursuit of better diagnosis, prevention and
treatment.
The legislation also creates a National Summit on Alzheimer's,
which would bring together researchers, policymakers and public
health professionals to discuss the latest promising research
avenues in Alzheimer's disease.
Equally important as investing in the research that can yield
breakthroughs in the near future, is helping the nearly 10 million
Alzheimer caregivers today who wrestle with the financial and
emotional challenges of caring for a loved one with this disease.
The Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act seeks to provide them
with vital resources and tools to assist them in this demanding
role by expanding the Alzheimer's Care State Matching Grant program.
World Alzheimer's
Day, September 21, is a day when the Alzheimer's Association
and other organizations around the globe unite our efforts to
raise awareness about the disease and its impact on our families,
communities and nations. World Alzheimer's Day was first launched
on September 21, 1994 by ADI.
See
our World Alzheimer's Day news release
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