The Obama Administration this week announced a new effort to combat what many call an epidemic in cases of Alzheimer’s disease by releasing an additional $50 million for cutting-edge research. The White House fiscal year 2013 budget will also include an $80 million funding boost for Alzheimer’s research, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
A further $26 million is being made available for caregiver support, provider education, public awareness, and improvements in data infrastructure.
“Today’s announcement reflects this administration’s commitment to confronting Alzheimer’s, a disease that takes a devastating toll on millions of Americans,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “We can’t wait to act; reducing the burden of Alzheimer’s disease on patients and their families is an urgent national priority.”
As many as 5.1 million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, which is a progressive, irreversible brain disorder that destroys memory and thinking skills. With the aging of the U.S. population, the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease could more than double by 2050.
It is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed, the Alzheimer’s Association said. Based on mortality data from 2000-2008, death rates have declined for most major diseases while deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have risen 66 percent during the same period.
In January 2011, President Obama signed the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, which calls for an aggressive and coordinated national Alzheimer’s disease plan. The act also establishes an Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services, which brings together some of the nation’s foremost experts on Alzheimer’s disease to inform the development of the national plan.
The preliminary framework for the National Alzheimer’s Disease Plan identifies key goals, including preventing and treating Alzheimer’s disease by 2025.
For more information, visit www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/02/factsheet_alzheimers.html.