DESK REVIEWS | 10.02. Has the government been allocating money specifically for dementia research in the last fiscal year? If so, how much was allocated to basic, clinical, social and economic research?

DESK REVIEW | 10.02. Has the government been allocating money specifically for dementia research in the last fiscal year? If so, how much was allocated to basic, clinical, social and economic research?

Yes. The Brazilian government has been investing in dementia research in the last years. By April 2019, the Department of Science and Technology in the Ministry of Health invested a total of U$5,397,116.92 in 66 research projects. However, we do not have access to the amount of money invested in the last fiscal year (Brazilian Ministry of Health, 2019g). At local level, agencies have been financing a number of studies on dementia. For example, the agency FAPESP (based in São Paulo) 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 do not have information on the corresponding amount of money invested (FAPESP, 2019). It is important to mention that this investment is not FAPESP initiative through specific calls but related to dementia researchers applying for funds.

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/

There is no governmental funding allocated specifically for dementia research in Hong Kong. Yet, the Government has been funding dementia research through various schemes to support researchers from different disciplines. The TIP-CARD research team has conducted a quick online scan to search for research projects in relation to dementia funded by the Government so far. We investigated the funding records of the major governmental funding bodies with the following inclusion criteria: dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and/or mild cognitive impairment in project title. Up to the end of 2019, a total amount of HKD 201,105,938 has been offered to 163 research projects in relation to dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and/or mild cognitive impairment, through 20 different schemes under 4 governmental funding bodies including The Research Grants Council (RGC), Food and Health Bureau (FHB), Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office (PICO), and Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF). The number of dementia projects funded per year shows an overall increase from 1 project in 2001 to 23 projects in 2019.

The number of funded projects and amount of funding in relation to dementia are categorised by their field of study. Two-third of the funded projects are in the field of biology and medicine, accounting for 77.4% of the total amount of funding. This indicates that basic sciences and medicine continue to be the dominating subject areas for fund allocation. While nearly one-third of the funded projects are in the field of humanities and social sciences, only 16.6% of funds are offered to these projects. Twenty out of the 46 funded projects in humanities in social sciences focus on caregivers or both caregivers and the PwD, while only one study in biology and medicine mentions caregivers in the project title. It is also observed that these projects seldom address the economic aspect of dementia.

Yes. Please refer to part 10.01.

No, research on dementia or Alzheimer’s or cognitive dysfunction could be identified after going through the publication lists, digital archives, research repositories, and future research agendas of 4 research institutions (Litbangkes, LIPI, AIPI, and DIKTI) (Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2019). In Riskesdas from Litbangkes, there is a category for non-communicable diseases, but it still does not include information on dementia and other cognitive decline conditions. The National Report 2018 from Litbangkes has a chapter on mental health but no specific subsection on dementia. In 2013, DIKTI (Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia) sponsored a trial on cognitive stimulation therapy in Indonesia through a scheme dedicated for early-career university lecturers (Komalasari, 2014; Nastiti et al., 2015; Triestuning & Sipollo, 2019).

References:

Alzheimer’s Disease International. (2019). World Alzheimer Report 2019: Attitudes to Dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease International.

Komalasari, R. (2014). Domain Fungsi Kognitif Setelah Terapi Stimulasi Kognitif. Jurnal Keperawatan Indonesia, 17(1), 11–17.

Nastiti, D. A., Khamdiniyati, N., Latisi, M. P., Aprilia, L., & Nessya, I. A. (2015). Pengaruh Senam Poco-Poco Untuk Melawan Dimensia. Psikostudia, 4(1). http://e-journals.unmul.ac.id/index.php/PSIKO/article/view/2268

Triestuning, E., & Sipollo, B. V. (2019). Cognitive Stimulation Therapy on Elderly with Dementia in Panti Werdha Pandaan, Pasuruan. International Conference of Kerta Cendekia Nursing Academy, 1, 139–144.

No data was sourced for this item as it is unclear whether work around dementia being conducted at the Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre was funded by the Jamaican government within the last year.

The government has not been allocating money for dementia research. However, there are research groups in health institutions and universities, mainly. In addition, federal and state level institutions, including the National Institute of Health, public hospitals, etc. can plan, budget, and allocate funds for research in any topic related to their mission, and as such, they could allocate funds to dementia research if they chose to. An overview of dementia research in Mexico shows that it has been increasing in recent years, mainly focused on clinical and intervention aspects, following those of an epidemiological nature, evaluation of informal care and the impact of the caregiver. However, there is little research on the effectiveness of interventions, the impact of dementia, as well as on other areas such as attitudes and stigma.