Countrywide strategic plans on Alzheimer's disease: developing the framework for the international battle against Alzheimer's disease.

As the world's population ages, countries must prepare for the significant impact Alzheimer's disease will have on their health systems, their economies, and their citizens. In anticipation of major global demographic changes, many countries in the G-20 since 2000 have begun to develop and enact plans to address Alzheimer's disease as a national priority. However, even with nearly half of these participating countries having plans in place, there has been little research done to quantify the value of enacting a countrywide plan on this disease. In this review, we summarize recent national plans (from the year 2000 and beyond) and any results stemming from their respective recommendations and activities.