Japan Scraps Ambitious Plan to Decrease Dementia

Japan's government this week announced a decision to cancel a project to reduce the number of dementia sufferers by 20 percent by 2029 due to controversial statements, reports United Press International . Members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party are allying themselves with Abe's critics, who cite a lack of evidence that dementia and Alzheimer's are preventable. These critics say the government's statements mislead the public into thinking that people with dementia are to blame for not taking preventive steps. The Abe administration also stated that dementia-delaying strategies would include greater social interaction among seniors and better exercise, but reports noted such measures would be unprecedented in the developed world. Kyodo News reported that the proposal took issue with welfare spending at a time when Japan's population is rapidly aging.