MARYLAND, USA — The Maryland Department of Health has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expand Alzheimer's and related dementias prevention and care programs in the state.
The five-year grant period started on Sept. 30, 2023 and will run through Sept. 29, 2028. Maryland is one of 43 states, cities, and territories to receive the funding through the federal Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act. The act was signed into law on 2018 with the intent to create a national public health infrastructure to combat Alzheimer’s and related dementias and preserve brain health.
“Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias represent an urgent and costly public health crisis,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Laura Herrera Scott. “This grant will help Maryland provide support and resources within communities most impacted by this devastating disease and lessen the burden on caregivers and families.”
The fifth-leading cause of death among Americans age 65 and older remains Alzheimer's, according to the National Institutes of Health. The money will be used by the health department to track and report activities in the Maryland State Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and build upon its Healthy Brain Aging awareness campaign to increase early detection and diagnosis and promote healthy brain aging.