The VERA project, an EU-funded initiative aimed at improving the early detection of Alzheimer's disease, has been officially launched, bringing together partners from Malta and Sicily to tackle the growing challenges of an ageing population.

Through the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and wearable sensors, the project seeks to identify the disease at an earlier stage, allowing for more timely and effective intervention, a government statement said.

The project is funded through the Interreg Italia-Malta Programme.

The aim of the project is to improve the quality of life for elderly people and carers. It is also intended to support health system sustainability.

The Health Ministry and the Ministry for European Funds said that this project is a practical example of EU funds delivering tangible benefits.

Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela said that dementia has a significant impact not only on patients but also on their families, who often bear a substantial share of the costs and responsibility of care.

He said that, in this context, prevention and early diagnosis are crucial to ensuring the sustainability of the healthcare system.

"Project VERA has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of elderly persons and their carers by enabling earlier and more effective intervention," Abela said.

EU Funds Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said that the project shows "how European funds are being invested in innovative solutions that make a real difference to people's lives."

The research of this project was conducted as a collaboration between the Ministry for Health, the University of Malta, the University of Kore, CNR Parma, and the University of Palermo.

"This collaboration between Malta and Italy clearly demonstrates how essential joint work and investment in research are," Parliamentary Secretary Malcolm Paul Agius Galea said.