Dementia needs the type of aggressive action seen for tackling HIV in the 1980s, according to Sir Terry Pratchett.

The author said the world “still doesn’t take much notice” of the disease and much more funding is needed for research.

His comments come as a new report for Alzheimer’s Research UK shows that for every UK scientist working on dementia, six work on cancer.

A national poll also found people fear dementia more than cancer or even death.

Sir Terry, patron of the charity, said: “Alzheimer’s is a large number of small tragedies usually played out behind closed doors, so in spite of the numbers living with it, the world still doesn’t take much notice.

“When the world was shocked by HIV in the 1980s we saw a crash programme of research which has helped tame it enormously.

“We need the same kind of aggressive action on dementia now.”

The British YouGov poll of more than 2,000 people marks the re-launch of Alzheimer’s Research Trust as Alzheimer’s Research UK.

The charity is appealing to the public, government and the private sector to help end years of “pitifully low” investment in research.

Asked what they feared the most, 31 per cent of people surveyed for the charity said dementia, while 27 per cent were most scared of cancer, 18 per cent feared death and seven per cent feared going bankrupt.

Some 52 per cent of people aged 30 to 50 said they were worried about their parents developing dementia, compared with 42 per cent fearing cancer and 33 per cent a heart attack.

Among those who were retired, 34 per cent said they were most scared of dementia as they got older – more than the 33 per cent who were worried about money.

When asked specifically which health conditions they were concerned about, 52 per cent of this age group said dementia, 33 per cent said cancer and 30 per cent said stroke.