Updated: Wed Apr. 11 2012 09:51:26
CTVNews.ca Staff
The number of people suffering dementia -- estimated to be in the tens of millions and growing rapidly -- amounts to a "ticking time bomb" that needs to be addressed before it is too late, according to a new study co-authored by the World Health Organization.
The study "Dementia: A Public Health Priority" estimates that a new case of dementia is diagnosed somewhere around the world every four seconds.
According to the report co-written by the World Health Organization and Alzheimer's Disease International, that adds up to approximately 7.7 million new cases of dementia being diagnosed each year.
From an estimated 35.6 million people living with dementia in 2010, the report anticipates that figure doubling to 65.7 million by 2030, on its way to 115.4 million in 2050.
In Canada, where an estimated 500,000 people were believed to be living with some form of dementia in 2010, the number of cases is expected to rise to 1.1 million by 2025.
The study quotes global health expert Dr. Peter Piot, who has called dementia a "ticking time bomb."
But it also notes that many governments aren't taking appropriate action, with Australia, Denmark, France, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom the only countries with a national strategy.
Considering that only eight WHO member nations have definitive plans to combat dementia, the CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Canada says the report should serve as a "wake up call."
In an interview with CTV's Canada AM Wednesday, Naguib Gouda said Canada needs to join the ranks of countries taking a co-ordinated approach to combatting this growing health concern.
"We need action now," he said, explaining that his organization has been pushing the federal government to adopt a national strategy for the past two years.
"It's basically time for the government to make it a priority and keep listening, but also take action," he said.
Earlier this year, in declaring that Alzheimer's is "one of the most-feared health conditions," the U.S. government announced its intention to find effective treatments for the disease by 2025.
In late March, British Prime Minister David Cameron stated his government's intention to double dementia research funding by 2015. And across the channel, France has had a national "Alzheimer Plan" since 2008.
Canada's federal government, meanwhile, has said it is taking action and pointed to its funding of the 2010 "Rising Tide" study which predicted huge costs related to dementia in the coming decades.
But Naguib said it's time to go further, suggesting Ottawa needs to come up with a national strategy that includes:
- supporting the friends and relatives who become de facto caregivers for dementia patients
- augmenting the professional health care workforce
- increasing funding for dementia research
- promoting early diagnosis and risk reduction
- reducing the stigma associated with dementia
The term dementia refers to disorders of the brain which include loss of reasoning, judgment and memory.
Comments are now closed for this story
John / In response to our society is the cause
I don't think how our current society eats ( high meat and junk food or contaminates ) has to do with it.
My Grand-Mother ( god rest her soul ) her sister and brother both have/had Alzheimer.
All 3 of them grew up in Madeira ( Island off the coast of Portugal )
They moved here in their 30's.
It's hereditary.
Studies and research can help reduce the affects of it but it won't stop it from happening.
Living within society sucks.
Jhon
Dementia is a very sad disease, I witnessed my grand-mother go thru it. It's one of the hardest things, seeing your grand-mother not remembering who you are. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.
I believe it is hereditary, as my mothers mom, aunt and uncle have all suffered or are suffering thru it now.
Alzheimer & Dementia is a sad way to go.
me
To the young people who bemoan the cost of caring for the elderly.....My tax dollars currently pay for the healthcare and housing of young people who have blown their minds and bodies on drugs an will never be employable. I'll be supporting all these youngsters for the rest of my life. If I had the money back I've spent on supporting youth, I'd be able to look after myself in my old age.
Josh
Japle
The only real debate about fluoride is does it really prevent cavity's or not as for side effects sure you have some that fear mongering but there is no solid facts that say there is side effects.As for the food supply there is nothing wrong with it the issue is people who eat fast food and don't care or don't understand what fat and sugar does.
John Kelt, Toronto
The incidence of all dementia in North America is three percent of all those over the age of 65. In other words, of all the people who live past 65, three out of every 100 of them will lose their mental capacity, a completely insignificant number. The cost of caring for a dementia patient is exactly the same as the cost of caring for any other person of the same age. Although family and friends may be afraid of the disease, the family and friends of people who die of other diseases feel exactly the same. Nothing says contracting a dementia condition makes a patient special or privileged or more entitled to better treament than other patients.In short, Alzheimer's is an utterly trivial disease, of zero importance to society or governments. The reason for the recent marketing campaign is to pay for neurological research, which ordinary people are reluctant to fund. After decades of trying to get funding for brain injury reasearch and so on, marketing has found the magic hot button of Alzheimer's, and they are pushing that button for all it's worth. Pure and basic study of the brain is vastly more important than the tiny possible profits made from dementia medications.
CYL
Dementia is not something that happened yesterday, like everything else, it started many years ago with the change of genetically/scientifically altered foods, fast foods, frozen foods, the environment, maybe added stress, the body just cannot handle the changes so something has to give.........
Devil's Advocate
Here comes euthanasia. Gets me to thinking that if we hold human life so high then how does a person with dementia in a lucid moment feel about his state and whether or not it's a worthy quality of life. No one ever debates that enough. The problem is that I feel people writing our laws haven't done enough watching a loved one die of such an illness. On the flipside now; It's safer to call something murder than to see people accidentally killing patients who may have recovered in the name of mercy. Also there is a great horde of wonderful people who will use that grey area to really commit murder, creating another big can of worms. And that there is the dilemma. Sanctioning legit death and the not so legit darkside, or having these people live venerable and sad lives for years wishing for death. It sucks, but we can only have it one way.
DLD
Biggest mistake made by our healthcare system was to stop charging a monthly payment. They should bring that back and charge user fees for Dr's visits, income appropriate of course. To the person that said, Boomers, you're on your own. Someday that person too will get old as will his/her mother and father, siblings, so they will be on their own too? I suspect that person is in their 20's or 30's, the ME generation. Aging is a fact of life, most go through it and help is needed. Since the stoppage in payments to our healthcare system I have had over 7 hr waits in an emergency room only to be tended to so quickly once they realized how sick I truly was and yet families were in that same room being cared for and sent on their way within minutes, minor sniffles, etc. People have to realize that emerg rooms are not for colds and coughs and they are clogging the system for people who truly need care. So much waste is going on because people believe the care is free, it is not free, we all pay either with taxes which increase because of the abuse or some with their lives because the care is delayed from those abusing the system with minor illnesses. Why do you think people move to Canada? They want all the "Free" things, it's not like many of them truly want to change their lives and become "Canadians" I use to have a boss, she point blank said in front of everyone in the office, she had NO Intention of ever becoming a Canadian and yet she loved her Canadian Govn't job and was one of the highest paid in our office.
Fran
My Mother has dementia and it is not a mental illness it is a symptom of the aging process I believe it might be genetic as her father had it too. I'm hoping that health prevention and knowledge will prevent me from getting this illness. We have this problem with aging society right now so we need to help the patients with stimulating them and giving them tools to live as normally as possible. Volunteering helps alot.
WSV
The biggest problem is that we have no cure or even way of truly slowing the progress of the disease and that dementia can be caused by many different factors (stroke, AB-amyloid, tau protein, chromosomal defects). Even screening techniques are designed to identify symptoms of cognitive impairment and memory loss but nothing is conclusive; there is no true method of diagnosis except by pathological findings of brain tissue after autopsy.The current medications are significantly short of what could be considered mildly effective in slowing the progress of the disease. The end result is always the same. The only way to truly solve this problem is to develop a cure, however this is not a one-size-fits-all prospect since dementia can have several different etiologies.
island girl
It's great saying we'll aim for a cure by 2025, but they've been pledging a cancer cure for the past 35 years and just keep sucking money in. Dementia is a collection of many areas of brain disfunction. I really can't see them finding a 'cure'. I'm afraid the direction it's going to take will be more in the form of euthanasia in order to save money. We live in an era of declining ( and often nonexistent) values.
Japie
How about cleaning up our water and food supply and getting off the many pills people swallow every day? Has anyone looked into the side effects of fluoride in our water that we get prescribed without our consent?
Alex
When a person don't remember to go to the toilet, leaves the stove on without using it, don't remember to take a shower, and how to eat, the life is finished. The life is finished for the person with dementia, Alzheimer's disease and for the rest of people around. Why wasting so much money without reaching anything? Even if working people are giving up of everything and live in poverty wont cover the cost of people with incurable diseases. I think dying with dignity(euthanasia) will solve many problems, and not only for sick people but the ones who are over 60 with no money and are sick and tired of life.
Bob G
A high meat eating society, especially with all manner of contaminants and poor quality meat from animals that lived nightmare lives.Add to that the illegality of cannabis and lack of plentiful supply of cannabis oil extracts for ingestion. Add all the other crap junk foods.Yea, lots of dementia on the way.
Dignity or Death
The people effected the most from this Evil Disease are the family that see the downward spiral of a loved one. They sometimes see a spike in things that are hurtfully said or even physical violence. I think that if I was aware of finding out I had this disease I would want a way to save the cost and the terrible effects for my family and to hell with Pro-Lifers views.
Victoria
It is a growing fear, as many of the people diagnosed are getting younger (some under the age of 50). There are more Dementias than Alzheimer's and all of them need to be recognized.
Old Ted
Isn't living older going to be wonderful. Long life or quality of life and I'll take quality every time. Of course, if you think that you will be going to hell, you may just vote for long life.
Teresa
My mother has been recently diagnosed and has joined a trial for a medication that would not cure but could halt the loss. She feels she wants to help future generations. Have to look at the glass half full. She may get a placebo and not stop the loss for herself but it is a little start.
Michael from Toronto
What I do not see mentioned is a strategy to tackle the most difficult question - what can a person do if he/she does not want to gradually waste away and drift into a vegetative state before their body finally give out? I have seen this personally over many years, quite a few people with dementia will become completely incapacitated and require 24/7 care for several years before passing away. No one visits them, they cannot move and they appear not to interact with their surroundings except swallow food and water. The smart ones apparently reject food while they still have some of their wits left and they die from starvation after about 3 weeks but why should people have to die that way?
steve
speaking on behalf of our conservative government, move along to something more important like fighter jets and big prisons. our citizens do not need any help, they can manage all by themselves. health care, smealth care.
Ryan, Guelph
I can attest to it being feared... my grandfather has dementia, and it is one of the last ways I can imagine wanting to go. The idea of losing my mind and forgetting everything dear to me is terrifying.
Josh
ThetrazI find it amazing people bring up jails and jets you don't bring up the billions spent on immigration/foreign aid etc.
Diane
The health industry in Canada needs a huge overhaul and with dementia cases increasing along with the aging population it will be a huge focus in the years ahead as to the cause and its prevention not to mention the costs. Dementia is perhaps one explanation why Ontario keeps voting for politicians who repeatedly lie to them about the state of their healthcare.
TheTrez
Healthcare plan? Nope, we need jets and jails, they are more important.Sorry Boomers, you're on your own with your mental health on this one.
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