NACCHO’s submission includes feedback received from their member services, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), who deliver a range of services in urban, rural and remote communities across Australia.

This report analyses findings of the world’s largest survey on attitudes to dementia, as well as expert essays and case studies from across the world. It provides recommendations for governments, agencies, civil society, policy-makers and local governments, to improve the experiences of people living with dementia, their carers and loved ones.

Although it is not known exactly how many Australians have dementia, it is estimated to affect up to 436,000 people. In 2017, dementia caused more than 13,700 deaths and was the second-leading cause of death in Australia, behind coronary heart disease (18,600 deaths). Dementia is the leading cause of death for females.

Dementia is a leading cause of illness and death among Australians. This report shows that in 2016–17 about 546,000 prescriptions for anti-dementia medications were dispensed to about 58,500 people aged 30 and over. Of the 4 anti-dementia medications examined, Donepezil was the most commonly dispensed medication.

The evidence cited in this paper makes a strong case for a new approach to risk reduction. Science is increasingly clarifying the pathways through which brain and body interactions take place and shedding light on the impacts of disease on the brain and other organs. Australia urgently needs a coordinated, integrated prevention strategy for brain...