50% or below) surrounding the influence of evidence-based modifiable dementia risk factors. 8 Furthermore, only 19% had a good understanding of the term dementia, alongside substantial uncertainty (i.e. Within the Australian general public, 40% are unaware that dementia is not a normal part of ageing, 1 only 41.5% believe dementia risk can be reduced, and only 26.9% are very confident that this is realistically achievable. 6 However, a population-wide level of knowledge about dementia and its protective factors remains low. 2, 3 Dementia has no cure however, there is increasing recognition that modifying risk factors for dementia, 4, 5 and the adoption of risk reduction methods in national strategy and health professional practice can reduce dementia risk. 1, 2 There are an estimated 472,000 Australians suffering from dementia, with numbers predicted to rapidly reach 1,076,000 by 2058. 1 DEMENTIA PREVALENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND CHALLENGES FOR RURAL AND REMOTE AREASĭementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia and is currently costing the country over $15 billion annually. It identifies the challenges for regional populations and builds upon the strengths and community values that rural areas are known for to propose innovative and evidence-based strategies that can be applied in practice. This paper explores the missed opportunities for dementia risk reduction in rural and remote areas. This paper recognises the unique challenges faced by the rural health system targeting dementia prevention and proposes that evidence-based, multi-factorial, public health campaigns that are driven by a united multi-level approach and supported by appropriate funding is required to translate the benefits of dementia risk reduction into real-world solutions.

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