Number of people with dementia set to jump 40% to 78 mln by 2030: WHO

Geneva: More than 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia, a neurological disorder that robs them of their memory and costs the world $1.3 trillion a year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

The progressive condition can be caused by stroke, brain injury or Alzheimer's disease. With populations ageing, the number of sufferers is projected to rise to 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050, the WHO said in a report. Only one in four countries has a national policy in place to support dementia patients and their families, it said, urging governments to step up to the public health challenge.