Dementia to become a ‘trillion-dollar’ disease by 2018

A new international report reveals the staggering global cost and impact of dementia

Every 3.2 seconds someone in the world is diagnosed with dementia and the cost of caring for them is reaching unprecedented levels, warns Alzheimer’s Disease International.

The estimated cost of dementia has risen by 25 per cent over the last five years, to £521 billion and it will, according to the latest World Alzheimer’s Report, become a trillion dollar disease by 2018.

Now experts are calling for the UK and others to invest more in care and research to tackle the dementia epidemic which currently affects 46.8 million people around the world – more than the population of Spain.

‘The rising global cost of dementia will pose serious challenges to health and social care systems around the world,’ explains Marc Wortmann, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Disease International, which recommends that at least one per cent of the overall global cost of dementia should be spent on research.

By 2050 the organisation estimates that 131.5 million people will be affected by dementia – with nearly half of them living in Asia.

The UK’s Alzheimer’s Society is a member of the international federation. Chief Executive Jeremy Hughes adds: This new research exposes the staggering financial and human impact of dementia. Our system urgently needs to be geared up to meet the needs of people with dementia.’