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September 3,2021

Anna Murray 

According to a global health report titled "Global Status Report on The Public Health Response to Dementia," which was released on September 1, the report includes updated global estimates of dementia burden and costs based on the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Health Estimates 2019 and the Global Burden of Disease study 2019. It also makes use of data submitted to the Global Dementia Observatory by 62 WHO member states.

Dementia is caused by a variety of brain diseases and injuries, such as Alzheimer's disease or stroke. It has an impact on memory and other cognitive functions, as well as the ability to carry out daily tasks. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, has warned that dementia robs millions of people of their memories, independence, and dignity. 

Meanwhile, the Global status report on the public health response to dementia, published halfway through the implementation of the Global dementia action plan, takes stock of actions taken by WHO member states and civil society since the plan's adoption, identifies barriers to implementation, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights areas where urgent, accelerated action is required. According to the report, while some progress is being made, increased global efforts are urgently needed to meet the dementia targets by 2025.

The number of people suffering from dementia is growing. According to WHO, more than 55 million people (8.1 percent of women and 5.4 percent of men over the age of 65) have dementia, with 10.3 million of them living in the Americas. This number is expected to reach to 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050.

Currently, 75 percent of countries report providing some level of support to caregivers, though these are primarily high-income countries. More encouragingly, two-thirds of countries across all regions have made significant progress in implementing public awareness campaigns to increase public understanding of dementia.