WHO: Make dementia a world health priority

Dementia must become a global public health priority in order to help combat the growing problem plaguing the world's ageing population.

This is the opinion of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is calling on governments and organisations to take decisive action.

In their Dementia: A Public Health Priority report, WHO and Alzheimer's Disease International have illustrated best practice and highlighted dementia statistic from around the globe.

The report also urges countries to introduce measures to create dementia-friendly societies and transform attitudes to and understandings of the condition.

A spokesperson from the Alzheimer's Society commented: "World leaders everywhere must take steps to conquer the enormous challenge of dementia.

"If we take action now, we can transform millions of lives."

The release of the report follows the announcement by David Cameron that the UK will increase its investment in dementia research.

It is estimated that there are currently 800,000 people with dementia in the UK.

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