15 Departments Join Forces: 400 Million Elderly Dementia Prevention Plan

China has launched a national program aimed at addressing the rising incidence of dementia. Relevant departments point out that dementia has become a widespread social issue and poses a significant challenge to the well-being of the elderly and their families. As population aging intensifies, China, as the world's second-largest economy, is facing severe challenges. By 2035, it is expected that the population aged 60 and over in China will increase by at least 40%, exceeding 400 million, a figure equivalent to the total population of the UK and the US.

To tackle this challenge, 15 Chinese government departments, including the National Health Commission, are jointly participating in the dementia response plan. Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday that the plan outlines seven key tasks and goals to be completed by 2030. Xinhua emphasizes that with the aging population and increasing average life expectancy, the number of elderly dementia patients in China continues to rise, becoming a widely concerned social issue.

Xinhua further reported that by 2030, China will establish a comprehensive "dementia prevention and control system", covering continuous links such as prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and care. The plan aims to control the development of dementia through extensive cognitive screening and ensure early intervention for high-risk groups.

According to an official report in 2024, over 16 million people in China suffer from dementia, including the most common Alzheimer's disease. The report also points out that the number of dementia patients in China accounts for nearly 30% of the global total.

Under this plan, care services for elderly dementia patients will be expanded. Dedicated care units for elderly dementia patients should account for more than 50% of elderly care institutions, and the number of trained dementia care personnel should reach 15 million by 2030.