Dementia is set to become one of the greatest health challenges for the Australian community

Sep 20 2004

Australian Medical Association Vice-President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that dementia is set to become one of the greatest health challenges for the Australian community over the next decade.

Dr Haikerwal said that this week – National Dementia Week – is the perfect time for the major parties to announce their plans and policies to address the emerging major social and health problems presented by dementia.

“The AMA believes dementia should be classified a National Health Priority Area as a matter of urgency,” Dr Haikerwal said.

A report last year by Access Economics for Alzheimer’s Australia projected that well over half a million Australians (2.3% of the population) will have dementia by mid-century, compared with some 160,000 Australians in 2002 (0.8% of the population).

“More and more Australians are becoming afflicted with dementia, so the support and care systems must be put in place now,” Dr Haikerwal said.

“Despite this looming social and health crisis, there is still no national strategy for early identification, treatment, counselling or support for sufferers of dementia, or their families and carers.

“Much more also needs to be done to research this epidemic of dementia.

“It is now clear that dementia is burdening many of our older people, and the aged care and health services that must deal with it.

“Like other chronic diseases, good dementia care requires the integration of primary health care, community care and hospital care.

“As the prevalence of this disease exists mostly in the over-70s, there is the potential to make large gains in these populations with a targeted national approach,” Dr Haikerwal said.

The AMA strongly supports making dementia the focus of a coordinated, strategic, national effort, such as through classifying dementia as a National Health Priority Area, because:

• The participation of general practitioners across the country is integral to the successful implementation of any dementia strategies, and
• There is no single discipline exclusively able to manage patients and their dementia. A collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach - with support from all Australian Governments - is needed.