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Neurological health: WHO warns that 11 million lives are lost each year and calls for global action
The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm over the growing threat posed by neurological disorders, which are responsible for 11 million deaths annually and now affect over 3 billion people — more than 40% of the global population.
According to the WHO’s new Global Report on Neurology, fewer than one in three countries has a national policy to tackle this escalating health crisis.
The ten main neurological conditions causing death and disability in 2021 were: stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, idiopathic epilepsy, neurological complications from premature births, autism spectrum disorders, and nervous system cancers.
The UN agency is urging urgent, coordinated, and evidence-based action to expand access to neurological care — particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where there are up to 82 times fewer neurologists than in wealthier nations.
“With more than one in three people worldwide living with brain-related disorders, we must do everything we can to improve the healthcare they need,” said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, WHO’s Assistant Director-General.
“Many of these conditions can be prevented or treated effectively, yet healthcare services remain out of reach for most patients,” he added.
