10,000 people to suffer from dementia by 2030

It is estimated that by 2030, some 10,000 individuals will be suffering from dementia, National Dementia Strategy author Charles Scerri said.

Parliamentary secretary for active ageing Franco Mercieca this morning launched the National Dementia Strategy for consultation. The strategy covers nine years, between 2015 and 2023. 

Explaining that a dementia strategy was required to enhance the quality of life of individuals with dementia, their caregivers and family members, Mercieca said a strategy drafted by the previous administration was outdated and had been shelved, the author was asked to review the strategy and update it.

This is the second strategy to be launched by the parliamentary secretariat, having launched the strategy for active ageing last October.

"The strategy seeks to build awareness and generate an understanding of the concept. A timely diagnosis is important for early treatment. This also means we need trained carers and community and residential services that are dementia-friendly," he said.

According to Charles Scerri, the number of individuals suffering from dementia in Malta will reach 10,000 in 2030.

"These figures do not include the number of persons affected by this condition," he said, adding that dementia, worldwide, amounted to 1% of the global GDP.

Costing a global figure of $600 billion annually, if dementia were a country, it would be the 18th strongest country in the world.