WHO warns most countries lack policies to tackle neurological disorders causing 11M deaths a year

GENEVA

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday that less than one in three countries has a national policy to address the rising burden of neurological disorders, which cause more than 11 million deaths each year and affect over 3 billion people worldwide.

The findings were outlined in the WHO's Global status report on neurology, which showed that neurological conditions now impact more than 40% of the global population.

The top 10 contributors to death and disability include stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, and cancers of the nervous system.

"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 Jeremy Farrar, WHO assistant director-general for health promotion, disease prevention and control. "Many of these neurological conditions can be prevented or effectively treated, yet services remain out of reach for most – especially in rural and underserved areas – where people too often face stigma, social exclusion and financial hardship."

The report highlighted stark global inequalities, such as low-income countries having over 80 times fewer neurologists than high-income nations. Only 32% of WHO member states have national policies on neurological disorders, and just 18% have dedicated budgets.

The UN public health agency urged governments to make neurological disorders a policy priority, expand access to care through universal health coverage, and implement the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (2022–2031) to reduce inequalities and strengthen brain health worldwide.