The WDC’s work on care is being supported by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and World Health Organisation who are developing a framework exploring how international collaboration could improve dementia care, looking at sharing best practice, and metrics for measuring progress.
The Council’s new fifth priority is whether lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of developing dementia. Following a presentation by Harry Johns, WDC member and President and CEO of Alzheimer’s Association, members concluded that the evidence strongly suggests cognitive decline at the population level can potentially be affected by behaviour changes acting on cardiovascular risk factors.
These two new priorities are added to existing ongoing work to speed up research and the search for a cure (‘Integrated Development’); increase investment in dementia research (‘Finance and Incentives’); and realise the potential of ‘Open Science and Data’ so that information is shared around the world on research, patient care and best practice. The World Dementia Council, led by the World Dementia Envoy, was formed following the G8 Dementia Summit in December 2013.
