Europe

UK initiative to help sufferers of dementia

Government hopes to recruit a million volunteers who can provide support for people with condition.
Last Modified: 08 Nov 2012 21:56

Dementia is a devastating illness which affects milions of people around the world, and there is no cure.

Globally, it is thought that more than 35 million people are suffering from dementia. Changing the way the condition is perceived and the way sufferers are treated by society is a massive challenge.

There are about 800,000 people with dementia in the UK. Within ten years that number is expected to reach more than a million.

Some help is already available for people with the condition and their carers, but the government wants to change the way the public thinks about dementia, and hopes to recruit a million volunteers who can provide support.

Al Jazeera's Emma Hayward reports from London.

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Al Jazeera
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