TBI Blog: Dementia is a global health timebomb – global health expert Professor Peter Piot

Jack Sisson's TBI Blog

A hug is duct tape for the soul.

Global health expert Professor Peter Piot will announce dementia is one of the largest global health challenges and call for the condition to become a top world health priority.

Professor Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and former Executive Director of UNAIDS, will take to the world stage at the opening ceremony of the Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) conference. He will challenge the World Health Organisation to declare dementia a health priority alongside cancer, diabetes, lung disease and heart disease. He will also call for a UN General Assembly special session on mental health and dementia, and ask world leaders to sign up to an action plan to transform millions of lives.

Professor Piot said:

'Dementia is one of the largest neglected global health challenges of our generation, with 36 million people living with the condition today. By 2050 115 million people - almost twice the current population of the UK - will be living with dementia worldwide. What we must learn from the AIDS movement is that by investing now, we will save later. Having a global action plan to defeat dementia is the first step to making a difference to millions of people.'

The action plan proposed by ADI will call on leaders of the world's nations to commit to the following:

Invest in research and coordinate research efforts with other countries
Educate the public and health practitioners to ensure they recognise the signs of dementia. Provide information, support and access to treatment to ensure people can live well with dementia
Record diagnosis rates in their own countries to create an accurate picture of dementia
Conduct coordinated studies on the economic and social impact of dementia
Develop and share health strategies to help people reduce their risk of developing dementia.