An estimated 100,000 people in Croatia suffer from dementia, and 70 percent of them have Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia, doctor Ninoslav Mimica told state news agency Hina on the occasion of World Alzheimer's Day, observed on 21 September.

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease, most common in people over the age of 65, and it impacts the quality of life of the person affected as well as the quality of life of people living with Alzheimer’s patients.

Doctor Mimica, who works at the Zagreb-based Vrapce psychiatric hospital, added that this meant that apart from those 100,000 people, also the lives of 250,000 people in their families were affected the consequences of that disease.

Mimica called for the adoption of a national strategy against dementia.

More and more patients can be expected to be diagnosed with this condition considering the fact that life expectancy is getting higher and that the share of the elderly population is increasing.

There are 55 million people suffering from dementia worldwide, and in 2012, the World Health Organization decided that this condition should be treated as a public health priority.

Countries were urged to adopt national action plans for addressing this topic and so far over 40 states have done that.

Last year, Croatia’s parliamentary health committee proposed the establishment of a task force charged with drawing up a national strategy for copying with dementia.