Leading nations have committed to developing a cure or treatment for dementia by 2025 at the G8 dementia summit. Health ministers meeting in London said G8 countries would increase funding for research to meet that goal.
Earlier the UK said it aimed to double its annual research funding to £132m by 2025. The global number of dementia sufferers is expected to treble to 135m by 2050.
The G8 said it would "develop a co-ordinated international research action plan" to target the gaps in research and ways to address them.
It also called on the World Health Organization to identify dementia as "an increasing threat to global health" and to help countries adapt to the dementia timebomb. In a statement it said "We recognise the need to strengthen efforts to stimulate and harness innovation and to catalyse investment at the global level."
Dementia is incurable and ultimately leaves people needing full-time care as brain function wastes away. There is growing concern that some countries will simply not cope with the growing burden of dementia.