Dementia Cases on Rise Across Australia as Population Ages

Recorded cases of dementia, as well as deaths and prescriptions for the disease, are on the rise across Australia as the nation grapples with the effects of an ageing population. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Dementia in Australia report, released on Sept. 13, estimates that out of every 1,000 Australians, 15 are suffering from the neurodegenerative disease. Prescriptions for dementia drugs have increased 46 percent in a decade. A total of 688,000 dementia medication prescriptions were dispensed to around 72,400 Australians aged 30 and over in 2022–23, compared to 472,000 scripts dispensed in 2013–14. According to Dementia Australia, more than 100 different diseases can lead to dementia, with the disease commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease....