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Pratchett calls for more dementia funding

Posted November 27, 2008 09:38:00

Top-selling author Terry Pratchett will deliver a petition to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street today, calling for an urgent increase in funding for dementia research.

Pratchett, 60, revealed last December he had been diagnosed with a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's disease.

"I am appalled that research into Alzheimer's and related diseases, which affect 700,000 people in the UK, currently receives just 3 per cent of government medical research funding," he said in the petition.

"I strongly urge the government to increase funding for dementia research as a matter of urgency."

Around 20,000 people have signed the petition, which has the backing of over 100 leading scientists.

- Reuters

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, books-literature, alzheimers-and-dementia, author, united-kingdom, england

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