Canberra, Sep 13 (IANS) The demand for drugs for the brain disease dementia has risen by nearly 50 per cent in Australia in the past 10 years, a government report has revealed.
The report shows that in 2022-23, 72,400 people aged 30 years and above were given dementia medicines. This number is 46% more than in 2013-14. Dementia is a group of many diseases that damage brain cells.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Alzheimer’s disease is the cause of 60-70 percent of cases of dementia worldwide. It is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 60-70 percent of cases globally.
The report estimates there will be 411,100 Australians living with dementia in 2023, and forecasts that number will more than double to 849,300 by 2058 as the population grows and ages.
In 2022-23, the number of people hospitalised for dementia was 26,300, a 24 per cent increase from 21,000 in 2016-17, reports Xinhua news agency. Dementia was the cause of one in every 11 deaths.
“Dementia is a significant and growing health and aged care problem in Australia, with a significant impact on the health and quality of life of people with the condition, as well as their families and friends,” AIHW spokesperson Melanie Dunford said in a statement.
Dementia was the second leading cause of death in Australia after coronary heart disease, accounting for 9.3 per cent of all deaths. It was the leading cause of death for women and Australians aged 65 years and over in 2022.
The rate of deaths due to dementia in Australia is projected to increase from 39 to 69 per 100,000 population between 2009 and 2022.
About A$763 million (US$513.3 million) has been spent on direct health services for dementia in the country.
–IANS
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