Data on prevalence of dementia is available across some regions in India. The Global Burden of Disease study (India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Neurological Disorders Collaborators, 2021) also provides an overall estimate along with state-wise prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in India. However, further evidence is needed on the determinants behind variations in dementia prevalence across the country (India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Neurological Disorders Collaborators, 2021; Kumar et al., 2019). In addition, research on interventions to support caregivers in low-resource settings, identifying factors that may help facilitate reduction in informal caregiver burden is urgently needed (Kumar et al., 2019).

There is also a necessity for evidence on effectiveness of awareness raising interventions and campaigns across different demographic areas considering the large diversity in socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic factors in India. Lastly, research on economic costs of dementia is limited and the development of such evidence can aid policymakers in better resource allocation towards services for persons with dementia in the country.

References:

India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Neurological Disorders Collaborators (2021). The burden of neurological disorders across the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2019. The Lancet. Global health, 9(8), e1129–e1144.

Kumar, C. S., George, S., & Kallivayalil, R. A. (2019). Towards a Dementia-Friendly India. Indian journal of psychological medicine, 41(5), 476–481. https://doi.org/10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_25_19