Dementia advocates eye Australia’s G20 role

Scientists and advocates have launched a campaign calling on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to place dementia on the agenda of the Group of Twenty (G20) when Australia hosts the next meeting in November.

 From left, professors Henry Brodaty and Perminder Sachdev

Behind the petition: Professors Henry Brodaty and Perminder Sachdev

Scientists and advocates have launched a campaign calling on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to place dementia on the agenda of the Group of Twenty (G20) when Australia hosts the next meeting of the economic forum in November.

Such a move would follow the lead of British Prime Minister David Cameron who hosted the G8 Dementia Summit in London in December.

The petition to Mr Abbott has been launched by Professors Perminder Sachdev and Henry Brodaty, the co-directors of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at UNSW and is being supported by Alzheimer’s Australia.

Professor Sachdev said that dementia featured prominently at the recent G8 forum and it was hoped this momentum could be carried forward as its impact on G20 countries like China, India and Brazil was even greater and growing rapidly.

“Dementia is a global problem – not just a rich country’s problem. This is what we wish to highlight at the G20,” Professor Sachdev told Australian Ageing Agenda.

The worldwide costs of dementia will exceed 1 per cent of global GDP in 2010, at US$604 billion. If dementia care were a country, it would be the world’s 18th largest economy, he said.

“Reports from individual countries such as the UK suggest that dementia is one of the costliest illnesses – and yet research and investment is at a far lower level than for other major illnesses,” said Professor Sachdev.

Professor Henry Brodaty said it was a unique opportunity to meet the challenge of dementia. “It could be another 20 years before Australia again assumes presidency of G20. That will be too late. This is our future and our children’s future and their children future.”

Glenn Rees, the CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia, said the fight against dementia had to be carried beyond the G8 to the G20 if a significant worldwide impact was to be made. “Member countries of the G20 will have 71 per cent of the total world population of people with dementia by 2050,” he said.

As chair of the meeting of the G20 in November, the Prime Minister should continue Australia’s successes in bringing dementia to the forefront by galvanising the global support and recognition that dementia demands at the G20 summit, Mr Rees said.

petition
The petition is aiming for 20,000 signatures.

The petition reads:  “In many parts of the world, research into dementia is non-existent. This, combined with the relative neglect of dementia research in rich countries, has created a major gap between the disability and suffering attributable to dementia and the research investment into its diagnosis, treatment and appropriate care.

“Greater research funding will help develop new treatments, but more importantly, exploit the current knowledge to develop strategies to prevent dementia or delay its onset. The G8 has set ambitious targets. We ask Mr Abbott to take the lead and make it a truly global fight against the dementia time bomb.”

The petition is aiming for 20,000 signatures. At the time of writing it had attracted more than 3,700 signatories.

It is available here to sign and promote via social media. 

Tags: alzheimers-australia, dementia, G20, henry-brodaty, perminder-sachdev, research, tony-abbott,

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