The current UK Government has pledged to double dementia research funding to over GBP 160 million (EUR 187.7 million) a year by 2030, through the delivery of a “Dementia Moonshot”. This month, Alzheimer’s Society has set out to drive forward the vision of what this funding could achieve for people affected by dementia. Dementia is one of the greatest health challenges facing society, both in the UK and around the world. By 2040, it is estimated dementia will cost the UK economy GBP 94.1 billion (EUR 110.4 billion). Since 2013, the UK Government has increased research investment, including the establishment of a national Dementia Research Institute in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK. The last decade of investment in dementia research has built a foundation that is primed for accelerating progress in understanding dementia.
A Dementia Moonshot must prioritise research to establish how to support people with dementia and those who care for them to live better with the condition. It must also take steps towards developing new treatments and ultimately a cure. Alzheimer’s Society is calling for a broad focus which must explore the causes of the disease; clinical and drug discovery research providing hope of a cure for the future; and social care, technological innovation and public health research to address the care needs of today. Alzheimer’s Society is working collaboratively across the sector to ensure these plans are expert led, and, on 12 February, the Society supported the first Dementia Care Research Summit bringing together almost 100 top researchers, clinicians and experts in dementia care to set forward the blueprint for dementia care research. Alzheimer’s Society has established five priorities where the Government’s Dementia Moonshot investment can make the biggest difference for people affected by dementia, now and in the future:
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A national network of excellence in dementia care research
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Transforming care through technology for people with dementia, including a potential “Dementia Technology Challenge Prize”
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Public health and prevention research
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Finding a cure (including additional funding for the UK Dementia Research Institute)
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Training the dementia researchers of the future.
These ambitious plans address the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of dementia and have the potential to impact the disease at all stages. Fiona Carragher, Chief Policy and Research Officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It is crucial that the government not only works on developing effective treatments and finding a cure, but, also, ensuring the funding is there to continue to explore ways we can help individuals with dementia live well.” For more information, visit: www.alzheimers.org.uk/news/2020-02-12/5-priorities-government-dementia-moonshot
