G8 leaders pledge to tackle global dementia crisis

Health and science leaders from the G8 nations have agreed a series of measures to tackle the growing global health, social and economic threat posed by dementia.

Taking place on December 11th 2013, the summit in London was convened by the British government as part of its G8 presidency and was the first conference to be held on a specific illness since HIV.

Representatives at the event agreed to set an ambition to identify a cure or a disease-modifying therapy for dementia by 2025, backed by a commitment to significantly increase the amount spent on dementia research.

Meanwhile, a new Global Envoy for Dementia Innovation is to be selected, while an international action plan for research will be developed and more will be done to share information and provide open access to data.

Prime minister David Cameron said: "We stood against malaria, cancer, HIV and AIDS and we are just as resolute today. I want December 11th 2013 to go down as the day that the global fightback began."

Ambassadors for the G8 nations – the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia – will come together again throughout 2014 to build on the commitments agreed this week.