By the year 2050, over 153 million people globally could have dementia, increasing from 57 million in 2019, caution experts.

The predicted increase is primarily on account of ageing and growing populations; however, unhealthy lifestyles also play a role, stated researchers in The Lancet Public Health. Risk factors that need to be addressed and account for over 6 million of the estimated rise include high rates of smoking, obesity and diabetes. According to the study, cases are predicted to increase in eastern sub-Saharan Africa, from around 660,000 to over 3 million, largely due to population growth; in North Africa and the Middle East, from around 3 million to 14 million; in the Asia Pacific region, from 4.8 to 7.4 million; in Western Europe, from 8 million to around 14 million; and in the UK, from a little more than 907,000 to around 1.6 million… (BBC, January 7, 2022)