This policy brief aims to stimulate debate and drive improvements in dementia research, diagnosis, treatment and care by identifying key priorities for action at the Member State and EU level.
With 7.3 million Europeans living with dementia and with the numbers set to increase to 15 million by 2050, this policy brief argues all European governments need to allocate more resources to dementia.

In these tough economic times, Governments across the EU are looking at ways to cut public budgets and curtail spending. All EU countries will need to prioritise spending on dementia and reconcile need, want and value for the public purse in the coming years.

This policy brief argues that policy interventions on dementia will reap rewards of their own, particularly with regard to early diagnosis, prevention and investment in research and development. There is increasing evidence to show early diagnosis coupled with effective early interventions and services are cost effective. Not only in terms of net savings, but in terms of the positive social outcomes for the patients’ families and caregivers.

At a time of growing awareness of dementia at the UK and EU level, this policy brief argues for an enhanced role for the European Union Institutions to foster, promote and stimulate collaboration between EU Member States.

This policy brief entitled: ‘A problem shared is a problem halved? Dementia: Learning opportunities from Europe’ has been published alongside a literature review. The literature review can be downloaded from: A Problem Shared: Dementia Literature Review.

Author: Sally-Marie Bamford