WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The World Health Organization has warned that less than one in three countries around the world has a national policy to address the growing burden of neurological disorders, responsible for more than 11 million deaths globally each year.
The WHO's new Global status report on neurology shows that neurological conditions now affect more than 40 percent of the global population, or more than 3 billion people.
The top 10 neurological conditions contributing to death and disability as of 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementia, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, idiopathic epilepsy, neurological complications linked to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorders, and cancers of the nervous systems.
Low-income countries have more than 80 times fewer neurologists compared to high-income nations despite the high burden of these diseases. Many low- and middle-income countries lack national plans, budgets and workforce. WHO is calling for urgent, evidence-based and coordinated global action to prioritize brain health and expand neurological care.
'With more than 1 in 3 people in the world living with conditions affecting their brain we must do all we can to improve the health care they need,' said Dr Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General, Division of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control.
The first-of-its-kind report, published on Wednesday, highlights that only 102 countries out of 194 WHO Member States contributed to this report - an indicator of the limited attention given to neurology. Just 32 percent of Member States have a national policy addressing neurological disorders, and only 18 percent report having dedicated funding to address them.
The report reveals a severe lack of qualified health professionals, with low-income countries facing up to 82 times fewer neurologists per 100 000 people compared to high-income nations.
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