Abstract
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are global health crises, with most affected individuals living in low- or middle-income countries. While research into diagnostics and therapeutics remains focused exclusively on high-income populations, recent technological breakthroughs suggest that low-cost AD diagnostics may soon be possible. However, as this disease shifts onto those with the least financial and structural ability to shoulder its burden, it is incumbent on high-income countries to develop accessible AD healthcare. We argue that there is a scientific and ethical mandate to develop low-cost diagnostics that will not only benefit patients in low-and middle-income countries but the AD field as a whole.
Highlights
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are global health crises, with most affected individuals living in lowor middle-income countries
This disparity between the cost and prevalence of dementia in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is in part due to lower wage costs and a higher proportion of informal care work—between 2010 and 2015, the dementiarelated costs in LMIC increased by 63%; the amount spent on professional care did not change [3]
This suggests that as dementia incidence increases in LMIC there has not been a concomitant boost to the professional care economy, changes which would support diagnosis and management
Summary
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are global health crises, with most affected individuals living in lowor middle-income countries. Though dementia was once considered a disease affecting high-income countries (HIC), approximately 58% of cases are currently found in low- and This suggests that as dementia incidence increases in LMIC there has not been a concomitant boost to the professional care economy, changes which would support diagnosis and management.
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