LETTER : BSE: who will care for the thousands of victims?
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: As the organisation that offers support and information to the families of people with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, we are appalled by the prospect of a epidemic of infected people (reports, 21 March).
Professor John Pattison, chairman of SEAC, the government-appointed expert committee on BSE, says that up to 500,000 people may have been infected before the bovine offal ban in 1989.
The Government failed to act at the earliest possible opportunity to put sufficient funds into research. It is essential we know how this disease develops in humans and to what extent it can be passed from person to person. We are concerned there are few facilities in the UK to carry out such transmission studies.
The members of our network, and the 650,000 people in this country who suffer other forms of dementia such as Alzheimer's disease, know that care in the community is ill-equipped to look after these people in future. Those of us at the sharp end of community care, who are looking after people with dementia, have been a soft target for health cuts in the past. In particular health authorities have failed to provide for the 17,000 younger people with dementia to which the new cases of CJD will be added.
The Government owes it to the people who have become infected to prepare sufficiently and commit enough funding to care services to make their last months as dignified as possible.
Clive Evers
Chairman
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Support Network
Alzheimer's Disease Society
London SW1
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments