Government funding for Alzheimer’s research drops to three-year low

Alzheimer’s Research UK calls on the government to urgently deliver on its election promise to double funding for dementia research – as figures published in the Sunday Mirror today (Sunday 31 January) reveal a drop in research spend for Alzheimer’s disease.

Figures show that government funding for research into Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, peaked in 2017-18 at £49.1 million, but fell to £27.7million in 2018-19, then again dropped to £22million last year.

The government currently funds £83 million of dementia research each year, but the UK’s leading dementia research charity says this is not enough, and more research funding is needed to find life-changing treatments for all forms of dementia.

With the support of Scott Mitchell, the devoted husband of Dame Barbara Windsor, who died with Alzheimer’s in December 2020, Alzheimer’s Research UK is calling on government to urgently increase its investment in dementia research.

“It’s disappointing to see that the government is still not doing more for people affected by dementia, despite the promises made by the Prime Minister to me and Barbara in 2019. While I fully understand that the government has had to prioritise dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, and my heart goes out to every single person affected by the virus, we cannot lose sight of the need to find life-changing treatments for people affected by dementia. Dementia is one of the country’s leading causes of death, and it will continue to be without greater investment in research. “While we knew nothing could be done to save Barbara from this cruel condition, we were both passionate about making sure action would be taken to save other families from the heartbreak it causes. But I worry we are moving backwards, rather than forwards. Over a year ago the government promised to double its funding for dementia research, yet we have seen no further commitment to this pledge. That’s why I’m asking people to sign Alzheimer’s Research UK’s petition calling on government to deliver on its promise.”