Australian government to tackle dementia research

Australian Minister for Health Sussan Ley today launched a three-pronged approach to support and promote dementia research in the search of new treatments, models of care and ways of preventing the debilitating disease.

Ms Ley announced A$35.6 million ($25.8 million) for six Dementia Research Team Grants that included the largest dementia clinical trial in the world for people aged 55 to 75 to test an online tool to reduce the risk of dementia, and projects aimed to uncover early warning signs of Alzheimer’s and non-Alzheimer’s disease dementias earlier.

Ms Ley said the six grants were a significant part of a A$200 million Abbott government election commitment to dementia research and ensured Australia remained at the forefront of international best practice.

“This A$35.6 million Abbott Government commitment to dementia research is essential as the number of Australians with dementia is predicted to grow to over one million people in the next 40 years,” Ms Ley said, adding: “The significant investment will focus Australian research teams on finding innovative new models of care for dementia, treatments and ways of preventing the disease. Importantly these Dementia Research Team Grants provide a new opportunity for Australian researchers to collaborate on priorities, rather than compete as individuals.”

National Institute for Dementia Research to be established

Today, Ms Ley also announced that Alzheimer's Australia had won the contract to establish and run the National Health and Medical Research Council’s A$50 million National Institute for Dementia Research.

The establishment of the National Institute for Dementia Research is in line with the government’s commitment to boosting dementia research in Australia and will specifically ensure better integration with international research and a focus for rapid translation of evidence from paper to policy and practice.

To support the work of the Institute, Ms Ley also released the NHMRC National Dementia Research & Translation Priority Framework that highlights five national dementia priorities. Ms Ley said the priorities had been finalized following broad consultation with researchers, carers, medical practitioners and people with dementia and prioritizes research into prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care, and improving the quality of life for people living with dementia.