Across the world, detection of dementia cases is woeful 10% on an average, and India is no exception. In high income countries, the detection rate is between 40-50%. Thus a vast majority of the affected people are deprived of timely and meaningful care.
Global estimates put the number of people with dementia at roughly 48 million, which is set to double in the next 20 years.India is said to have an estimated 4 million people with dementia, which is the worlds third largest, next only to China and USA.
Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) vice president Jacob K. Roy sys that the recently held World Health Assembly had adopted a global action plan on dementia with a mandate for the member countries to develop their own national dementia plans. So far, nearly 30 countries have put national dementia plans in place, but India is yet to respond to this major public health challenge that affects a significant elderly population, says Dr. Roy, who had founded the Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) in the country, with its national headquarters at Kunnamkulam in Thrissur, and had officiated as the chairman of ADI previously.
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Extensive research has been going on in many developed countries for several years now on the cause and treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia. However, in the past 10 years, no major drug discovery has taken place. At the 2017 American Alzheimers Iinternational conference, held in Toronto, the results of the phase three trial of anti-tau drug LMTM, which is said to be promising, was presented. There are several other new drugs also in the pipeline and a major breakthrough in dementia cure research is expected in the next 4-5 years, Dr. Roy says.
However, India does not figure prominently in this as the country. Although a task force was set up by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) some time ago, it did not result in any serious study into the causes and cure for dementia, says Dr. Roy.
(EOM)
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