In commemoration of the late Dame Barbara Windsor, a new “national mission” has been announced to combat dementia.
According to the prime minister, the volunteers will participate in clinical studies of new preventative medicines.
Boris Johnson stated that the government will provide an additional £95 million for research, fulfilling a manifesto pledge to treble spending for treatment research to £160 million by 2024.
The prime minister has launched a call for volunteers to participate in clinical studies of innovative preventative medicines.
Dame Barbara, who passed away in 2020, was best recognized for her appearances as Peggy Mitchell on EastEnders and in the Carry-On movies.
Her husband Scott Mitchell revealed to the world in 2018 that she had been diagnosed with the condition four years prior.
Mr. Johnson stated, “Dame Barbara Windsor was a heroic Briton.
“I am ecstatic that we can now honor Dame Barbara in such an appropriate manner by creating a new national dementia initiative in her name.
“We can work together to defeat this disease and honor a remarkable woman who relentlessly advocated for change.”
Mr. Mitchell stated, “Barbara would be so proud that she has left a legacy that will perhaps prevent future generations from having to undergo the same heartbreaking experience that she and I did.
I can’t quit imagining her with a proud expression on her face.
To test potential treatments, the mission will utilize modern scientific advancements, such as genetics, artificial intelligence, and the most advanced brain imaging technologies.
Alzheimer’s Research UK chief executive Hilary Evans told that the new funding is “extremely welcome,” adding, “Currently there are no treatments that can stop or prevent this debilitating disease, so that’s what we’re trying to do, and we’re ecstatic that the government has backed our call to increase funding in dementia.
She stated that almost one million people in the United Kingdom are living with dementia and that this number will only climb as the population ages.
Historically, funding for dementia research has been inadequate.
“It has frequently been viewed as a natural consequence of aging, as opposed to a brain disease that is eventually treatable.
“It is not something that occurs solely as a result of aging. It is a physical process occurring in the brain.”
