The Canadian government has underscored its commitment to combating dementia by allocating $382,740 in funding towards research in the field.
This funding, announced by the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, comes via the Dementia Strategic Fund (DSF).
Dementia, a chronic condition affecting cognitive abilities and leading to physical changes, is a pressing global health issue. With the aging population, the number of individuals living with dementia is projected to nearly double by 2030.
Despite this, dementia cannot currently be prevented or cured. It is hoped that increased research in this area will lead to better understanding, prevention strategies, and eventual cures.
The investment will support McMaster University’s initiative to evaluate existing e-learning resources. The resources, available on iGeriCare and McMaster Optimal Aging Portal, aim to raise awareness and knowledge about reducing the risk of dementia.
The evaluation will assess the impact these resources have on users’ knowledge and their intentions to engage in risk reduction activities. After the assessment, bilingual e-learning tools will be promoted to educate Canadians about the impact of healthy lifestyles and management of medical risk factors on brain health.
This funding is part of the larger commitment by the Canadian government to combat dementia. Budget 2019 earmarked $50 million over five years to support the implementation of Canada’s first national dementia strategy, “A Dementia Strategy for Canada: Together We Aspire.”
“Dementia affects too many Canadians and will increase as our population ages. Reducing the risk of dementia is a top priority for the Government of Canada. We are investing to improve Canadians’ knowledge about dementia and the importance of healthy behaviours. McMaster’s impressive research and knowledge mobilization efforts in the field of aging and dementia will go a long way toward this goal,” Minister Tassi commented.
Through this significant investment in dementia research, the Canadian government demonstrates its commitment to addressing this growing health issue, raising hope for millions of Canadians and their families impacted by dementia.
BusinessNewsCanada
