[Newsmaker] Number of dementia patients to surpass 2.7 million by 2050

In South Korea, some 700,000, or 1 in 10 of the elderly population, suffer from dementia, but this number will balloon to 2.7 million by 2050 amid the nation’s rapidly aging society, data from a ministry showed Monday. 

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, among South Koreans aged 65 or older, 725,000 are estimated to be suffering from dementia this year. The number will reach 1 million in 2024, 2 million in 2041 and 2.7 million in 2050.

The government said that some 20 million won ($17,700) is being spent on each dementia patient annually, based on its 2015 statistics. The total cost estimated at 13.2 trillion won accounts for some 0.9 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

By 2050, the figure will increase to 106.5 trillion won, equivalent to some 3.8 percent of the GDP, the ministry said. 

As of last year, the number of elderly dementia patients reported missing went up to 9,869 from 6,596 in 2010, while dementia patients accounted for 27 percent of the victims of elderly abuse cases reported in 2015.

On Monday, the Health Ministry announced a new program to install more state-run clinics for dementia treatment and widen medical coverage offered by the state, in line with President Moon Jae-in’s campaign pledge to strengthen the state’s role in taking care of dementia patients.

Starting December, the government will inject 160 billion won in setting up some 200 new support centers nationwide. Currently, there are 47 centers in operation, 25 of which are located in Seoul. 

Moon had stressed during his election campaign that the government should take more responsibility for the treatment of dementia. 

In June, Moon promised to introduce a 10 percent cap on the financial burden placed on those insured against dementia, a rate similar to those applied to four major age-related diseases -- cancer, cardiac disorders, cerebrovascular diseases -- and other rare incurable diseases.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)