Health Secretary calls on G8 ministers to find a cure, improve diagnosis and fight stigma at Dementia Summit

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has called on ministers from the G8 countries to use the world’s first G8 Dementia Summit to find a cure for dementia, improve diagnosis rates and fight the stigma around the disease.

Mr Hunt who opened the summit said: “Let us focus on three areas of action for this summit.

“Firstly to redouble our efforts to find a drug that can halt or reverse the brain decay caused by dementia. We thought we could never combat HIV. But just nine years after the Gleneagles summit and with the involvement of some of Britain’s best universities, we are talking about a potential vaccine. We need that spirit of scientific endeavour for dementia and Alzheimer’s as well - and there is some fantastic work going on in our universities and research laboratories.

“Secondly we need to improve diagnosis rates. In this country, despite our brilliant NHS, less than half of dementia patients get a diagnosis. Too many people - even some doctors - think there is no point. But with a diagnosis we can give out medicines that help some people; we can put in place support for families; we can encourage lifestyle change - all of which can mean people live at home happily and healthily for many years longer.

“Thirdly let’s fight the stigma around dementia in society. When I was born in the 1960s, people didn’t like talking about cancer. The first step to improving treatment was to make it normal - we need to do that for dementia. So following the inspiring programme in Japan, we are trying to recruit one million dementia friends in England - people who know the basics and can be ambassadors for fighting stigma.”

It is estimated that one in three will get dementia and Mr Hunt said: “If we don’t do better, for one in three those later years could be years of agony, heartbreak and despair - not just for those of us with the condition, but for our families, friends and loved ones too.”

Another reason to do something about this dehabilitating disease is the money it costs. “We will bankrupt our healthcare systems if we don’t. Here in the UK the cost of dementia is £23 billion and globally it is approaching $600 billion,” he added.

But the real reason to do something about dementia is not financial, said Mr Hunt.

“The real reason is human. Everyone deserves to live their final years with dignity, respect and the support of loved-ones. That was the dream of universal healthcare coverage when we founded the NHS in the UK 65 years ago. Now with an ageing population we need to reinvent the model.

“By showing future generations we were up to this challenge, ready to do what it takes to harness science, research and humanity to turn one of humanity’s greatest threats into one of its greatest achievements.”

The UK has used its presidency of the G8 to hold the first global dementia summit.

Currently there are 35.6 million people worldwide living with dementia. By 2020 the figure will be nearly 70 million.