Alzheimers New Zealand has warned that the country is “dangerously unprepared” to deal with a looming dementia crisis, as the number of people living with the condition is projected to more than double by 2050, RNZ reported.
According to RNZ, Chief Executive Catherine Hall said urgent government action was needed, with current community-based services “woefully underfunded and under-resourced.” At present, about 83,000 New Zealanders live with dementia, a figure expected to rise to 170,000 over the next 25 years.
The warning coincided with the release of the World Alzheimer Report 2025, which urged greater investment in rehabilitative services to help people maintain independence.
Hall said 17 dementia support organisations across the country already provided such services, but without sufficient funding, families and the health system would remain under pressure, reported RNZ.
RNZ quoted, “Dementia is a national health emergency and New Zealand still has no funded, implemented plan to deal with it,” Hall said. “Without political will and investment, the health system, the care sector, and thousands of families will continue to struggle unsupported.”
Alzheimers NZ has asked for an additional $20 million in the 2026 Budget, noting that funding has not increased since 2022, when $12 million was allocated over four years for the Dementia Mate Wareware Initiative. Hall argued that the additional support would help deliver priorities outlined in the New Zealand Health Plan 2024–27, including improving community care and managing the growing prevalence of dementia.
According to RNZ, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said the government was not ignoring the issue and confirmed she would attend the organisation’s summit on Tuesday. She stressed that wider reforms were underway to ensure older New Zealanders could age well, with a focus on prevention, primary care, aged care, and community-based support.
“Dementia is an example of a condition where preventative work is important and successful,” Costello said. “We want a system that allows people to live at home for as long as possible and provides better transitions between different types of care,” reported RNZ.