Tuesday was World Alzheimer’s Day, and the Alzheimer’s Association used the recognition to renew the call for an increase in federal investment in activities concerning the disease.

The association asked for a $1 billion increase from the federal government for dementia research, mentioning statistics on Alzheimer’s impact on Medicare, Medicaid, baby boomers, Hispanics and African-Americans.

World’s Alzheimer’s Day is recognized Sept. 21 each year. An estimated 18 million people in the world have Alzheimer’s disease, with the number expected to grow as the baby boomers approach retirement.