Global Status Report on the Public Health Response to Dementia
2021
This report by the World Health Organization (WHO) describes progress on multisectoral efforts to address dementia worldwide. Though dementia is a leading cause of disability globally, only a quarter of countries worldwide have a national policy, strategy or plan for supporting people with dementia and their families. According to the report, more than 55 million people worldwide currently live with dementia--a number that is expected to more than double by 2050.
This global analysis underscores the need to especially support caregivers of individuals with dementia, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In 2019, the global cost of dementia was $1.3 billion, with informal care accounting for about half the global cost while social care costs making up over a third. Caregivers spent on average 5 hours a day supporting the person living with dementia, and caregiving falls along highly gendered lines -- 70 percent of caregivers are women. While public awareness about dementia has increased over the last decade, the authors recommend greater investment in integrating dementia into the global health policy agenda. The report is accompanied by a web annex describing the methods underlying the report, as well as a short executive summary.
Global Status Report on the Public Health Response to Dementia
Source:
Global Status Report on the Public Health Response to Dementia. World Health Organization 2021. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240033245.