The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has launched a roadmap for the research of dementia in the Australian community.
Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Richard Colbeck said the Strategic Roadmap for Dementia Research and Translation was the result of a Government initiative to boost dementia research.
Senator Colbeck said the initiative’s priorities included introducing new and less invasive methods for early diagnosis into clinics across Australia and tackling the challenge of dementia within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
“Earlier diagnosis represents a real opportunity to make a positive impact for people living with dementia,” Senator Colbeck said.
“As Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, I am deeply concerned at the high number of Australians living with dementia in our aged care facilities,” he said.
“More supported access to treatment can vastly improve quality of care, and help people to live well with dementia in the community.”
He said since the Boosting Dementia Research Initiative was launched in 2015, a total of 133 grants had been awarded to 280 leading dementia researchers working across 26 universities and medical research institutes.
“It is estimated that the work undertaken through the initiative represents over one million new hours of dementia research,” Senator Colbeck said.
“Australia is committed to the World Dementia Council’s international target to identify a disease-modifying therapy by 2025.”
