World Alzheimer Report 2010: the global economic impact of dementia

Aound 0.5% of the world’s total population currently live with dementia. The total estimated worldwide costs of dementia are US$604 billion in 2010. This report argues that these figures are a great cause for concern. The authors argue that it is vital that governments and policy makers recognise that the cost of dementia will continue to increase at an alarming rate work must be done to improve care and support services, treatment and research into dementia in all regions of the world. Lower income countries face a severe lack of recognition of dementia, placing a heavy burden on families and carers who often have no understanding of what is happening to their loved one. High income countries are struggling to cope with the demand for services, leaving many people with dementia and their caregivers with little or no support.

The report highlights the following issues:

• costs associated with demantia account for around 1% of the world’s gross domestic product, varying from 0.24% in low income countries, to 0.35% in low middle income countries, 0.50% in high middle income countries, and 1.24% in high income countries

• worldwide, the costs of dementia are set to soar.The authors tentatively estimate an 85% increase in costs to 2030, based on predicted increases in the numbers of people with dementia
• costs in low and middle income countries are likely to rise faster than in high income countries, because, with economic development, per person costs will tend to increase towards levels seen in high income countries, and because increases in numbers of people with dementia will be much sharper in those regions

Alzheimer’s Disease International make these recommendations and calls:

• governments need to make dementia a health priority and develop national plans to deal with the disease
• governments need to remember their obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and the Madrid International Plan for Action on Ageing to ensure access to healthcare
  
• governments should fund and expand the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap Action Plan, including the packages of care for dementia, as one of the seven core disorders identified in the plan
• new investment in chronic disease care should always include attention to dementia. Healthcare is currently organised around an acute, episodic model of care that no longer meets the needs of patients with chronic conditions. The WHO Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions framework provides a basis on which to redesign health systems that are fit for their purpose
• governments and other major research funders must act now to increase dementia research funding, including research into prevention, to a level more proportionate to the economic burden of the condition
• governments worldwide need to develop policies and plans for long-term care that anticipate and address social and demographic trends and have an explicit focus on supporting family caregivers and ensuring social protection of vulnerable people with dementia
• Alzheimer’s Disease International supports HelpAge International’s call for governments to introduce universal non-contributory social pension schemes and calls on governments to ensure that people with dementia are eligible to receive and do receive disability benefits, where such schemes are in operation