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Simona Peneva

Greece uses 0.44% of its Gross Domestic Product to combat Alzheimer's disease whereas countries like Britain for example use 1.5% of it. In Greece only two studies for the annual cost of fighting Alzheimer's disease have been conducted so far. In 2005 the sum totals from € 4,000 to € 15,000 per patient, and in 2011 – from € 12,000 to € 22,000 per patient. Until now the total amount used for the treatment of patients is three billion euro, only 15% of which goes to medical care. It is significant that 70% of patients need fourteen-hour care a day, which is the equivalent of two working days or two salaries. In the member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 60% of the costs of patients are covered by the state and the remaining 40% are private. In Greece, 55% of the costs are covered by the state budget, and the households pay for doctors’ visits, with a little help from the government.

“What we need is: to change the culture, social empathy, specialized doctors, elimination of stereotypes and organizing institutions for specialized care”, says Ioannis Kiriopoulos, professor of health economics. Eleven countries, including Britain, France, Norway and Luxembourg, have already begun to integrate more intensive programmes and take measures to combat Alzheimer's disease. "Six hundred billion dollars a year are used throughout the world to combat this disease, approximately 3.5 state budgets", adds the professor. To cope better with the treatment and prevention of diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's, Greece needs a National Action Plan. The Research and Education sector has been included in this plan, which requires € 100,000 per year for ten national research programmes and € 5,000 a year for the award of a scientist and a clinic with honours to encourage more research. At least fifty specialized physicians trained abroad are also needed, which requires ten clinical and five research grants amounting to € 450,000 per year.

Greece plans to build several specialized centres for dementia in which specialized staff will work and more services will be offered. The construction of a research centre requires about € 100,000. Except for specialized physicians, clinics will need neurologists, psychologists, pathologists and nurses. Their specialization alone amounts to € 180,000 per year. Yet, € 25,000 will be necessary for ten new undergraduate courses added to students’ curriculum in universities, so that their specialization abroad will not be necessary. Another action taken by the initiative to combat Alzheimer's will be the creation of sixty clinics with at least one specialized physician, neurologist, psychologist, nurse and social worker. The cost of this plan amounts to € 30,000 per centre per year. In addition, interventions for prevention of the disease will require at least € 1 million for the entire territory of Greece. Care will be taken of patients who have difficulty with mobility or do not have such centres in their town, and caregivers will be motivated by higher pay. Construction of government premises is also being planned where patients will be sheltered in their end-stage to increase their quality of life over their last six months. The construction of two such premises cost about € 8.6 million.

"Do not forget those who do not remember", called the Deputy Minister of Health Catherine Papakosta-Sidiropoulou. She recalled that in order to slow the progression of the disease, it is essential that the patient is socially engaged and leads an active life. It is expected that by 2050 the number of Alzheimer's patients will increase fivefold. “Four hundred thousand professionals and care-givers take care of two hundred thousand Alzheimer's patients in our country. 90% of these patients were cared for in their homes, a fact that contributes to the reduction of additional government spending", added the Deputy Minister of Health. "This disease, apart from a health problem, is also a social and an economic problem. Currently, the number of Alzheimer's patients worldwide is forty million. In Greece alone there are two hundred thousand plus fifty thousand more who are not officially registered. It is expected that by 2050, 5% of the Greek population will suffer from Alzheimer's", said Ioannis Kiriopoulos, professor of health economics. Amongst the patients suffering from this disease in Greece, 75,392 were men and 124,608 - women. The disease occurs most commonly in women and in old age. The most dramatic increase is expected in the coming years in countries with low and medium economic development.