May 17 (Japan Today) - The government said Thursday it plans to reduce the number of dementia patients in their 70s by 10 percent over the next decade, setting the first such numerical goal to curb growing welfare spending at a time when the Japanese population is rapidly aging.
It presented the draft policy guidelines to a panel of experts on the disease, which involves a decline in cognition including memory loss. The Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to approve the guidelines possibly next month.
Under the plan, the government will initially seek to reduce the number of such patients by 6 percent by 2025.
An estimate by the health ministry has predicted some 7 million people will suffer from dementia in 2025 when the country's baby boomers reach 75 years of age or older.
Setting a numerical target signals a shift in government policy. It had focused on creating a society where people can live comfortably even if they develop dementia, rather than putting priority on delaying the onset of the disease.
