The Law Project 4364/2020 (if approved) will prioritise dementia research in Brazil. So far, the Brazilian research institutions have been investing in research on dementia. Between 2002 and April 2019, a total of US$5,397,116.92 were invested in 66 research projects on dementia by the Department of Science and Technology through the Ministry of Health (Brazilian Ministry of Health, 2019g). At local level, agencies have been financing a number of studies. For example, the agency FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation) has allocated 421 scholarships and research funds for dementia research, and when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, this number rises to 884 (however, we cannot distinguish whether these 884 research funds focus on Alzheimer’s disease only or cover Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia) (FAPESP, 2019).

References:

Brazilian Ministry of Health. (2019g). Pesquisa Saúde. https://pesquisasaude.saude.gov.br/

FAPESP. (2019). FAPESP :: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo. http://www.fapesp.br/

As mentioned in the Mental Health Review Report (MHRR), innovative technology should be strengthened in the daily operation of elderly service units and provision of dementia care services. It becomes helpful to attract young professionals to join the workforce of dementia care as a long-term solution (Food and Health Bureau, 2017a, p. 190). The report also proposes a recommendation on dementia research.

• “Recommendation 2 – Territory-wide prevalence studies of dementia should be conducted regularly to inform service planning” (Food and Health Bureau, 2017a, p. 185).

The Elderly Services Programme Plan (ESPP) indicates the need to further study the service demand for older people with mild impairments (Working Group on Elderly Services Programme Plan, 2017, p. 24). This plan also proposes a recommendation on increasing study to investigate the demand for elderly services.

• “Recommendation 5d – Further study on the demand for respite, transitional care, and emergency placement services should be considered. Moreover, the possibility of better using non-subsidised places to provide such services should be explored” (Working Group on Elderly Services Programme Plan, 2017, p. 26).

References:

Food and Health Bureau. (2017a). Mental Health Review Report.  Retrieved from https://www.fhb.gov.hk/download/press_and_publications/otherinfo/180500_mhr/e_mhr_full_report.pdf.

Working Group on Elderly Services Programme Plan, Elderly Commission of Government of Hong Kong SAR,. (2017). Elderly Services Programme Plan. Hong Kong: Elderly Commission of Government HKSAR Retrieved from https://www.elderlycommission.gov.hk/en/download/library/ESPP_Final_Report_Eng.pdf.

Not applicable.

The seventh action step focuses on research on cognitive function and dementia (Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia, 2015b).

References:

Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia. (2015b). National Strategy: Management of Alzheimer and Other Dementia Diseases: Towards Healthy and Productive Older Persons. Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia.

Not applicable.

Encouraging national research (basic, clinical, epidemiological, and social) on this disease is essential to generate new knowledge to promote better management of the disease to optimise the quality of life of family members and people with dementia.

NZ Dementia Framework:

The dementia framework does not specifically address research and innovation. When describing the purpose of the framework, the importance promoting “national consistency in dementia care while allowing for flexibility to adapt to local priorities and encourage innovation” is mentioned. The need to “ensure that new models of care, good practice examples and research are shared locally, regionally and nationally” is described when outlining governance considerations but this is the only point in the document where research is mentioned.

Dementia Action Plan:

The dementia plan includes research/innovation in their priority action area on strengthening leadership and capability across the sector. A specific objective is to “increase investment in research on dementia, in particular on the epidemiology of dementia in Aotearoa New Zealand, on culturally appropriate ways of describing and approaching dementia for tangata whenua and within Aotearoa New Zealand, and on what works to support people living with dementia”.