Dementia set to triple in 30 years, warns WHO

Dementia cases will triple by 2050, according to forecasts. The World Health Organization said the global figures provided an “alarm call” that more must be done for sufferers.

Charities said the world’s ageing populations made it more urgent to find a cure. WHO said the number of sufferers would increase from 50 million to 152 million in just 30 years.

Dementia is already the biggest killer in the UK, claiming more lives than heart disease. Around 850,000 people have the condition in Britain. Hilary Evans, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “The number of people with dementia in the UK is set to hit two million by 2050 … research is the only way to head off the growing crisis.”

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO, said: “Nearly 10 million people develop dementia each year. The suffering is enormous.”