Alzheimer’s Research UK Welcomes Prime Minister’s New Five-Year Strategy To Fight Dementia

The Prime Minster, David Cameron, will announce today (21 Feb) a strategy to help combat dementia over the next five years, with measures to boost research, improve care and increase public awareness of dementia. Alzheimer’s Research UK is delighted to have launched a number of key strategic initiatives that will have a significant impact on the search for a treatment.

The Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020 aims to help build on progress that has been made on dementia in recent years, and includes:

• More than £300m to be invested in research, with annual investment in dementia research expected to double by 2025 and an international dementia institute to be established
• A new multi-million pound fund for targeted dementia research, with investment from the private, public and charity sectors
• All NHS staff to undergo training in dementia to help improve care
• A drive to train 3m more Dementia Friends, to improve awareness and understanding of dementia
• Measures to speed up dementia assessments and improvements to support for people with dementia after diagnosis

The announcement follows moves in recent years to improve care and boost research into dementia, and an ambition laid down by the G7 to find a cure or disease-modifying treatment by 2025.

Hilary Evans, Charity Director, Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:

“Over the past three years we’ve seen the Prime Minister’s challenge play a pivotal role in creating a heightened focus on dementia and boosting the case for more research. Alzheimer’s Research UK is proud to have spearheaded the research challenge and successfully launched a number of pioneering global initiatives that will bring us ever closer to finding a cure.

“Since 2012, we’ve launched a £100m fundraising campaign which, in addition to our existing research projects, will see a pioneering new Stem Cell Research Centre, a powerful network of world-class Drug Discovery Institutes to fast-track new treatments and a Global Clinical Trials Fund to allow new treatments to reach people sooner.

“Today represents an opportunity to reflect on the progress made so far, but we owe it to the 850,000 people in the UK with dementia to build on this work with even bolder commitments. It is vital that we continue to energise a movement across society to improve the lives of people with dementia and that research into the condition continues to be a priority.”