Dementia Included In New £135M NIHR Research Funding

The National Institute of Health Research has today announced £135m of funding for new research projects across the UK to tackle some of the biggest health conditions, including dementia.

Alzheimer’s Research UK has called on government to increase dementia research investment from £82.5m in 2017/18 to £320m by 2025 to accelerate towards life-changing treatments.

Dr Alison Evans, Head of Policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:

“We are pleased to see part of NIHR’s extended research investment go towards increasing our understanding of dementia and improving the lives of people with the condition.

“Although dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK, we cannot yet slow, stop or entirely prevent the diseases that cause dementia. The 850,000 people living with dementia across the UK deserve better treatments.

“We must see continued, long-term investment like this and a commitment to spending just 1% of the cost of dementia towards research to begin making a difference for people with dementia.”

The number of people living with dementia in the UK is expected to rise to 1m in 2021 and double to 2m by 2050. – Bio Space