World Alzheimer’s Day – September 21, 2018

Today is World Alzheimer’s Day, an annual event where people around the world come together to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, affects more than 400,000 Canadians aged 65 and older, two-thirds of whom are women. With Canada’s population living longer than ever before, this number is expected to grow.

I have seen first-hand the significant impact that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias have on people’s lives, during my career as a social worker and as Minister of Health. I am also the daughter of a parent who lives with dementia. My own personal experience informs much of my thinking about dementia and makes it an issue that is very close to my heart.

The Government of Canada has made it a priority to help improve the quality of life for those living with dementia, their families, and their caregivers. Earlier this year, I held a National Dementia Conference and hosted the first meeting of the newly created Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia. What we heard during the conference, together with our ongoing consultations, and the advice provided through the Advisory Board, will be key as we work towards a National Dementia Strategy.

The Government of Canada is also investing $20 million over five years, and another ongoing $4 million a year, for community-based projects that promote the well-being of people living with dementia and their caregivers. In addition, we have invested $42 million over five years in the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation to support the development, testing and scale-up of products and services to support brain health with a focus on dementia. Projects funded through both of these investments will make a difference in the lives of people facing the real, daily challenges of living with dementia – whether through the development of best practices for providing care, or tools to combat stigma associated with dementia.

Through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Government has also invested more than $197 million in dementia-related research over the past five years. This innovative research is advancing our understanding of dementia, bringing us closer to finding effective treatments and improving the quality of life of people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Today, in support of World Alzheimer’s Day, let’s all do our part to raise awareness of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Together we can make a real difference in the lives of Canadians living with dementia, their families, and their caregivers.

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, P.C., M.P.

Minister of Health

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