(Nature) – The country is facing a coming wave of dementia for its ageing population, and is investing in research into drugs, diagnostics and even surgery to prepare itself.

The Chinese government has responded with programmes and funding that are aimed at improving screening, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease by 2030. And the research has started to take off.

Scientists have been working on new drugs and innovative — if controversial — surgical techniques. The government has also encouraged the development of drugs derived from traditional Chinese medicine. And researchers are accelerating the search for biological markers that precede the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, including genetic contributors, which could explain how the condition develops and reveal the best way to identify it early. (Read More)