In December, we led Mature Times  with criticism of reduced Government spending on Alzheimer’s research. In January, the Government replied to those comments. Here, Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research Trust, explains why - while welcoming some Government initiatives - she still feels the issue is not receiving the priority it deserves.

In last month’s Mature Times, the Minister of State for Care Services Phil Hope wrote that dementia research “is not in crisis”, saying it is “wrong” to describe a 7% decline in dementia research funding as a “cut”.

I won’t get caught up in the semantics. But there is much to be concerned about, and – as the Minister rightly noted – some cause for optimism.

First, we should welcome Phil Hope’s work in setting up a Ministerial Advisory Group on Dementia Research. This may turn out to be an outstanding initiative, bringing together funders of dementia research from all sectors, in our common efforts to develop new treatments, preventions and cures.
 
We must not, however, underestimate the scale of the challenge. As the Alzheimer’s Research Trust’s recent Dementia 2010 report noted, dementia is the greatest medical challenge of our time. We now know that 820,000 people in the UK live with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, costing our economy £23 billion each year. That’s twice the cost of cancer and three times that of heart disease. Every dementia patient costs more than the median salary.

Despite this immense cost, government and charitable funding for dementia research is 12 times lower than that for cancer research. If we want to make the progress cancer has made, then it is up to government, charities and the public at large to fund the research needed and rethink our medical research priorities. If we do not unleash the potential of our dementia scientists, can the NHS and social services really survive another generation?

Last year, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics argued that given the immense social and economic costs of dementia, research into the condition should not be left in a “Cinderella status”. This social and economic cost, and not just research excellence, should be considered when making medical research funding decisions, the Nuffield Council rightly assert.

If we cured dementia, annual government savings alone would be enough to fund every single British university.