Dementia cases 'to double by 2030' The number of people with dementia is expected to almost double to 65.7 million people by 2030,...

Dementia cases 'to double by 2030'

The number of people with dementia is expected to almost double to 65.7 million people by 2030, according to a World Health Organisation report. (AFP Photo/Damien Meyer)

The number of people with dementia is expected to almost double to 65.7 million by 2030 as the world population ages, according to a World Health Organisation report published Wednesday.

And by 2050 the number of sufferers could be more than three times the current figure of 35.6 million, the UN body said.

The report released by WHO and Alzheimer's Disease International estimates the current cost of treating and caring for those with the condition at $604 billion (461 billion euros) a year.

Dementia is caused by a variety of brain illnesses that affect memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and accounts for about 70 percent of cases.

More than half of sufferers (58%) live in low and middle income countries but this could rise to 70 percent by 2050.

The report said far more effective diagnosis was needed, as even in high income countries only 20 to 50 percent of dementia cases are routinely recognised.