Disease-modifying treatments will reshape the dementia landscape. The first treatments are gaining regulatory approval yet access remains very limited. In this Policy Despatch, Lenny Shallcross, Executive Director of the World Dementia Council, asks why this has not been met with the kind of sustained anger or mobilisation seen in other disease areas.

The World Dementia Council will host two major summits in 2026, bringing together leaders from research, clinical practice, public health, and advocacy. The 2026 WDC Summit in London will be held in October and the WDC China Summit in Guangzhou. The meetings will explore how scientific progress in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment can be translated into real-world practice. 

The World Dementia Council was established by the UK government following the G8 Dementia Summit held in London in 2013. Its mission is twofold: first, as a think tank to shape and strengthen global public policy on dementia; and second, to connect a diverse and international community committed to this goal, from bench scientists and health system leaders to advocates and community activists.