“Although dementia is the 7th leading cause of death globally, dementia research accounts for less than 1.5% of total health research output. Sadly, we are falling behind implementing the Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017-25. Addressing dementia comprehensively requires research and innovation to be an integral part of the response”, says Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organisation (WHO).

Strategies are needed to better understand, prevent, and treat the underlying diseases that cause dementia and, at the same time, provide care and support for people with dementia and their carers. Moreover, dementia research needs to be conducted within an enabling environment, where collaborations are fostered, and equitable and sustained investment is realized.  

With these objectives, WHO has developed a blueprint for dementia research, the first WHO initiative of its kind for noncommunicable diseases. The blueprint is designed to provide guidance to policy makers, funders, and the research community on dementia research, making it more efficient, equitable, and impactful.

Specifically, the blueprint for dementia research builds on and applies lessons learned from WHO efforts to prioritize research and coordinate research activities for infectious diseases; and considers the entire dementia research spectrum, incorporating diagnostics and therapeutics, as well as emerging scientific and technological advances such as artificial intelligence, multiomics, and biomarkers.