Japan will scrap a draft proposal which set a numerical target for reducing the number of dementia sufferers, health minister Takumi Nemoto said Tuesday, citing concerns from patients and their families that they could blame themselves for failing to prevent the disease.

Last month, the government proposed its first numerical goal on the disease -- which involves a decline in mental faculties, such as memory loss -- aiming to reduce the number of patients in their 70s by 10 percent over the next decade.

The proposal was aimed at curbing growth in welfare spending at a time when Japan's population is rapidly aging, but questions were raised about it because preventative measures are not scientifically proven.

Additionally, the numerical goal had been widely seen as shifting away from the policy of creating a society where people can live comfortably even if they develop dementia.

"We've heard from concerned parties that people who got dementia, despite trying their best to prevent it, would feel that they failed and lose their confidence," Nemoto said at a press conference.

The government will focus on efforts leading to good outcomes, rather than the number of patients, he added.

"Prevention" mentioned in the proposal would now be defined as "delaying the onset of dementia and slowing development of symptoms once patients develop them," Nemoto said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet is expected to approve the guidelines this month.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry estimates some 7 million people will have dementia in 2025, when the country's baby boomers will be upwards of 75 years old.

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