Ten Million People Develop Dementia Globally Every Year: WHO
Rukhshan Mir (@rukhshanmir) Published December 08, 2017 | 12:20 AM
The United Nations health agency on Thursday launched the first global monitoring system for dementia, which is expected to affect 152 million people worldwide by 2050
IUNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 08th Dec, 2017 ) :The United Nations health agency on Thursday launched the first global monitoring system for dementia, which is expected to affect 152 million people worldwide by 2050 " triple the current 50 million" amid the aging of the global population.
Dementia includes Alzheimer's disease and other types of memory loss and cognitive disabilities. "Nearly 10 million people develop dementia each year, six million of them in low- and middle-income countries," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said in a statement.
"The suffering that results is enormous. This is an alarm call: we must pay greater attention to this growing challenge and ensure that all people living with dementia, wherever they live, get the care that they need," he added.
The Global Dementia Observatory, a web-based platform, launched by WHO, can track progress on the provision of services for people with dementia and for those who care for them, both within countries and globally.
It will also monitor the presence of national policy and plans, risk reduction measures and infrastructure for providing care and treatment. "This is the first global monitoring system for dementia that includes such a comprehensive range of data," Tarun Dua of WHO's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, said.
"The system will not only enable us to track progress, but just as importantly, to identify areas where future efforts are most needed." WHO says the annual global cost of dementia is estimated at $818 billion, equivalent to more than one per cent of global gross domestic product.
The total cost includes direct medical costs, social care and loss of income of caregivers. By 2030, the cost is expected to more than double, to $2 trillion, a cost that could undermine social and economic development and overwhelm health and social services, including long-term care systems.
To date, WHO has collected data from 21 countries. By the end of 2018, it is expected that 50 countries will be contributing data. Of the countries reporting data so far, 81 per cent have carried out a dementia awareness or risk reduction campaign, 71 per cent have a plan for dementia, 71 per cent provide support and training for caregivers and 66 per cent have a dementia-friendly initiative.
All of these activities are recommended by WHO in the Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017-2025. The Plan provides a comprehensive blueprint for action that can be taken by policy-makers, health- and social-care providers, civil society organizations and people with dementia and their caregivers.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
SC orders end of encroachments in Karachi
Nazish Jahangir denies viral screenshots, calls them fake
Govt likely to hike electricity price once again
Bismah Maroof announces immediate retirement from international cricket
Malala expresses unwavering support for Gaza people
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
More Stories From World
-
Pakistan envoy visits TomatoWorld in Netherlands
2 minutes ago -
Chinese defense minister to attend SCO meeting in Kazakhstan
3 minutes ago -
China, Pakistan should engage in greater counter-terrorism cooperation to combat hostile forces: Khu ..
3 minutes ago -
Scottish leader scraps coalition deal with Greens
3 minutes ago -
Macron, in key speech, warns that Europe 'is mortal'
3 minutes ago -
China continues to battle flood in Pearl River basin
13 minutes ago
-
Death toll from Tanzania's flash floods rises to 155: PM
23 minutes ago -
Iron ore futures close higher
33 minutes ago -
Two runaway army horses in 'serious condition': UK minister
33 minutes ago -
Myanmar's health ministry issues heat advisory amid soaring temperature
43 minutes ago -
Russian oil production facility in Siberia catches fire
43 minutes ago -
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closes 0.48 pct higher
43 minutes ago