Alzheimer's today

The need for progress

The emotional impact of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) on patients and their families is uniformly devastating. Patients face increasing isolation, loss of emotional contact with loved ones and loss of everyday personal and professional competencies. Families can become consumed by the responsibilities, sacrifices, stresses and financial burden of full-time care. The financial impact to families and the broader community is monumental and growing.

Prevalence and
societal impact

As the world’s population ages, the prevalence of the disease is predicted to reach epidemic proportions. Alzheimer’s Disease International estimates there to be more than 55 million people currently living with AD and that this could increase to 78m by 2030 and to 139m by 2050¹. 

Left unchecked, the disease could not only devastate the lives of patients, families and caregivers but also have a major financial impact on public healthcare systems across the world.

The rising cost
of Alzheimer’s

The picture in the UK is typical of advanced economies. Alzheimer’s Research UK states that the cost of dementia in the UK was £42.5 billion in 2024, a figure that's expected to more than double to over £90 billion by 2040. In addition, £21.1bn was spent providing informal care across the UK in 2024.