Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the World Health Organisation’s Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to dementia Health Ministers and the Health Ministers communiqué from Japan’s presidency of the G7, if he will write to the WHO secretariat to support calls for a 10-year extension to the Global Action Plan on dementia.

As outlined in the G7 Nagasaki Health Ministers Communique held on 13 and 14 May 2023, the G7 Health Ministers encourage member states to develop and implement strategies and action plans, adopting integrated approaches on dementia in line with the WHO’s Global Action Plan on Dementia. In terms of any extension to the Global Action Plan, this is still under consideration.

On 24 January 2023, the Government announced that it will publish a Major Conditions Strategy covering six conditions including dementia. Our Major Conditions Strategy will consider prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care to support people to stay in good health for longer.

We published our initial report Major Conditions Strategy: Case for change and our strategic framework on 14 August 2023. It sets out what we have learned so far, and shares what we plan to focus on next to develop the final strategy. Following publication of the Strategic Framework, we will continue to develop the strategy, informed by the Call for Evidence and ongoing engagement. Our intention is to publish the Major Conditions Strategy in early 2024.