The rate of newly diagnosed dementia cases has been decreasing over the past decade when age is taken into account, partly due to improvements in the adoption of healthy behaviours and the management of chronic conditions. According to the latest national data, almost 477,000 people aged 65 and older have been diagnosed with dementia in Canada. While there is currently no cure for dementia, adopting healthy behaviours may help reduce the risk of dementia and slow the progression of symptoms.
The Government of Canada is committed to improving the quality of life of people living with dementia and caregivers, and to increasing knowledge about reducing the risk of dementia. Today, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced a total of $17.1 million in funding through the Public Health Agency of Canada's Dementia Strategic Fund and Dementia Community Investment to raise awareness of dementia, promote healthy behaviours that reduce risk, improve access to high-quality dementia guidance, and enhance provincial and territorial online dementia information resources.
Through the Dementia Strategic Fund, $9.6 million in funding is supporting 23 new projects across the country that will raise awareness on dementia risk, stigma reduction and dementia-inclusive communities; enhance provincial/territorial online dementia resources; and improve guidance for prevention, person-centered care, and Indigenous populations.
Through the Dementia Community Investment, $7.5 million in funding is being provided to launch nine projects to improve health behaviours associated with risk/protective factors that may help to prevent and/or delay the onset and progression of dementia.
This funding supports the implementation of Canada's national dementia strategy, A Dementia Strategy for Canada: Together We Aspire.
