Asia facing major issue over Alzheimer's care

Updated July 8, 2010 12:44:31

The degenerative brain disease Alzheimer's is one the many health issues besetting Asia.

Specialists in the region say Asia is facing a major and growing problem with Alzheimer's, and will soon have one of the world's largest populations of dementia patients.

Presenter: Siobhan Marsh
Speakers: Dr Wu Yee Ming, Chairman of the Hong Kong Alzheimer's Disease Association; Professor Edmond Chiu of the University of Melbourne; Marc Wortmann, head of Alzeihmer's Disease International

MARSH: It has been forecast that China will have more than a third of the world's dementia patients within decades and, so far, little has been done to prepare.

Alzheimer's Disease International has predicted that there will be more than 60 million people with some form of dementia by 2050, and more than 20 million of these will be Chinese.

Dr Wu Yee Ming is the Chairman of the Hong Kong Alzheimer's Disease Association.

WU: "We will have the doubling of the prevalence of dementia in Hong Kong and China every 20-years. So, now Hong Kong has a population of over 70,000 to 80,000 people who suffer from dementia right now, so by say 2030, there will be 150,000 so it's becoming a major issue."

MARSH: But Dr Wu is hopeful China's competitive streak will mean a sudden update of their dementia care systems to match these of South Korea and Japan.

WU: "As you can see in some of the more economically well better countries in Asia such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore they are already have a government strategy. I would say that we are not the slowest to develop but now we are seeing that Singapore and South Korea are overtaking us so we are not that happy."

MARSH: However, Melbourne University Professor, Edmond Chiu, who has just returned from Beijing after presenting a web lecture on Alzheimer's to 700 doctors in 12 Chinese cities, says any change will not be quick.

CHIU: "Chinese history is that it takes a long time to get anything done not like the Western where we get everything done, we expect it to be done yesterday. Chinese don't think that way."

MARSH: But Professor Chiu believes his lectures will encourage a step in the right direction.

CHIU: "At least you have a core group of people now understand a bit more and that they in turn will teach the next generation or even their colleagues. So they have the responsibility to teaching others and influencing other doctors"

MARSH: Marc Wortmann is the head of Alzeihmer's Disease International. He believes the solution is simple: talk about the disease.

WORTHMANN: "Well first of all, to pay attention to the disease and work together with Alzheimer's associations to raise awareness and to inform the workers in the medical field and the social care field about the disease and train them, and to be open about it in the media."

MARSH: Professor Chiu of Melbourne University agrees but argues groups such as the various Alzeihmer's associations face an up hill battle.

CHIU: "You're preaching to the converted really. There are lots of other doctors who don't care less about it and don't particularly want to learn much about it, but that's the world over. It's not a sexy disease in that sense, cancer heart disease, diabetes gets all the media attention. Dementia doesn't get much."