House bill champions international effort for dementia care

A bipartisan bill brought forward in the U.S. House of Representatives April 4 would coordinate an international initiative for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

The bill, HR 489, was presented by representatives Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.), founder of the Fattah Neuroscience Initiative, and Chris Smith (R-N.J.). Smith is co-chair of the Bipartisan, Bicameral Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease and was a co-author of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act  (NAPA) that was ratified in 2011 in order to set national goals for addressing Alzheimer’s disease. 

"We continue to push legislative and policy initiatives to promote medical research and treatment for [Alzheimer’s] patients—and better support their caregivers,” Smith said in a statement. “The Alzheimer's crisis will soon be skyrocketing and now is the time to plan and take action."

NAPA’s intent continues to be developing a successful treatment in the U.S. by 2025. The bill outlines new goals for a worldwide health initiative and partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO).

"While the threat of Alzheimer's is real—and growing—not a week goes by without us learning about new research or technologies to help us in this global fight,” Fattah said. “I am convinced that we are going to make breakthroughs in Alzheimer's for the 44 million worldwide, including 5 million Americans, that suffer from the disease, but we have to be prepared to support the investment. The U.S. is in a position to incite action and we must not only lead, but engage our partners around the world. This legislation and the creation of a Global Alzheimer's Fund would be the most significant step to date in our response to Alzheimer's and its growing toll on our aging population and fiscal health."

The bill has been given a tip of the hat by the Alzheimer’s Association and, if passed, HR 489 would engage the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and WHO to draw up an action plan that covers these areas of development in not only the G8 countries, but throughout the developing world with:

• Research, including clinical research and clinical trials, and regulatory issues
• Clinical care
• Supportive services for patients and for caregivers
• Prevention and health promotion
• Public awareness and education

"The very fact that the G8 held a summit on dementia three months ago provides hope that a new international initiative will be sustained on the order of the global fight against HIV/AIDS—a coordinated global effort which has saved lives," said Smith. "And as with the fight against HIV/AIDS, the world's leading economies must now do more than meet occasionally to really tackle the Alzheimer's challenge. In fact, the U.S. cannot afford to have a robust domestic program to fight this condition and find that our international efforts are undermined by the failure of other donors to play their proper role in this effort."