A leading dementia expert has urged Australia to launch a public health campaign similar to the iconic 'slip, slop, slap' initiative to tackle the growing burden of dementia. Professor Henry Brodaty, co-director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at the University of New South Wales, told the National Press Club that such a campaign could help delay the onset of the disease.
Professor Brodaty said many risk factors for dementia, including poor diet, physical inactivity and high blood pressure, are modifiable. 'We need the slip, slop, slap of brain health now,' he said. He criticised the federal government's National Dementia Action Plan, describing its $166 million in funding as insufficient, and called for better support for patients and families.
The call follows a study published in the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, which found that an online dementia prevention programme, 'Maintain Your Brain', is cost-effective. The trial involved 6,104 Australians aged 55 to 77 without dementia but with at least two modifiable risk factors such as obesity or anxiety.
Participants assigned to the programme received personalised coaching on physical activity, nutrition, cognitive training, and mental health. After three years, they showed significant improvements in cognition and reduced dementia risk compared with those who received only general health information. The programme did not increase overall healthcare costs, as participants used fewer health services.
Professor Brodaty noted that delaying dementia onset by one year could reduce prevalence by 10 per cent. However, the study's authors acknowledged limitations, including that participants were predominantly Caucasian, better educated, and of higher socioeconomic status than the general population. Further research is needed to confirm long-term benefits.
