Over 1 in 3 people affected by neurological conditions, the leading cause of illness and disability worldwide

Over 1 in 3 people affected by neurological conditions, the leading cause of illness and disability worldwide

Geneva, 14 March 2024– A major new study released by The Lancet Neurology shows that, in 2021, more than 3 billion people worldwide were living with a neurological condition. The World Health Organization (WHO) contributed to the analysis of the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study (GBD) 2021 data.

Neurological conditions are now the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. The overall amount of disability, illness and premature death (known as disability-adjusted life years, DALYs) caused by neurological conditions has increased by 18% since 1990.

Over 80% of neurological deaths and health loss occur in low- and middle-income countries, and access to treatment varies widely: high-income countries have up to 70 times more neurological professionals per 100 000 people than low- and middle-income countries.

“Neurological conditions cause great suffering to the individuals and families they affect, and rob communities and economies of human capital,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This study should serve as an urgent call to action to scale up targeted interventions to allow the growing number of people living with neurological conditions to access the quality care, treatment and rehabilitation they need. It is more important than ever to ensure brain health is better understood, valued and protected, from early childhood to later life.”

The top ten neurological conditions contributing to loss of health in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy (brain injury), migraine, dementia, diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications from preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancers.

Overall, neurological conditions cause more disability and health loss in men compared to women, but there are some conditions like migraine or dementia where women are disproportionately affected.

Since 1990, the absolute number of individuals living with, or dying from, neurological conditions has increased, while age-standardized DALY rates have dropped. This means that increases in absolute numbers are mainly driven by demographic change and people living longer.

Diabetic neuropathy was the fastest growing neurological condition. The number of people with diabetic neuropathy has more than tripled globally since 1990, rising to 206 million cases in 2021. This increase is in line with the worldwide increase in diabetes. Other conditions such as neurological complications from COVID-19 (for example, cognitive impairment and Guillain-Barré syndrome) did previously not exist and now account for over 23 million cases.

At the same time, neurological burden and health loss due to other conditions decreased by 25% or more since 1990 as a result of improved prevention (including vaccines), care and research: tetanus, rabies, meningitis, neural tube defects, stroke, neurocysticercosis (parasitic infection that affects the central nervous system), encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and neonatal encephalopathy (brain injury).

The study also examined 20 modifiable risk factors for potentially preventable neurological conditions such as stroke, dementia and idiopathic intellectual disability.

Eliminating key risk factors – most importantly, high systolic blood pressure and ambient and household air pollution – could prevent up to 84% of stroke DALYs. Similarly, preventing exposure to lead could reduce the burden of idiopathic intellectual disability by 63.1%, and reducing high fasting plasma glucose levels could reduce the burden of dementia by 14.6%. Smoking significantly contributed to stroke, dementia and multiple sclerosis risk.

More investments needed to improve treatment, care and quality of life

At the World Health Assembly in 2022, Member States adopted the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022–2031 (IGAP) with ambitious scope to address the long standing neglect of neurological disorders.

“The Intersectoral Global Action Plan 2022–2031 sets out a roadmap for countries to improve prevention, early identification, treatment and rehabilitation of neurological disorders. To achieve equity and access to quality care, we also need to invest in more research on risks to brain health, improved support for the healthcare workforce and adequate services,” said Dévora Kestel, Director, WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Use.

IGAP sets out strategic objectives and targets to improve access to treatment, care and support for people with neurological disorders; implement strategies for brain health promotion and disease prevention; strengthen research and data; and emphasize a public health approach to epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

NCDs group top cause of death in S Africa – Time for action

NCDs group top cause of death in S Africa – Time for action

NCDs accounted for 57.4% of deaths in 2016 while communicable diseases were responsible for 31,3% of deaths. According to StatisticsSA this confirms that South Africa is in the midst of epidemiological change.

The annual Statistics SA cause of death report for 2016 provides the most recent information on levels, trends and patterns in mortality by socio-demographic and geographic characteristics. Information on deaths from 1997 to 2016 are added for context.
Click here to download the full PDF report

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The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa announces a new CEO

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The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA) is pleased to introduce Professor Pamela Naidoo, our newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from 01 September 2016.   Naidoo is a public health and behavioral medicine specialist with 28 years of experience in the health sector spanning both non-communicable and communicable diseases. Naidoo is the Research Director of the Psychosocial Well-Being and Behavioural Interventions programme at the SA Human Sciences Research Council and holds an Extraordinary Professorship in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at the University of the Western Cape. She has a Masters in Clinical Psychology from the University of Durban-Westville and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Cape Town, as well as a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Natal.

The Board of the HSFSA welcomes Prof Naidoo and is confident she will positively contribute to the foundation’s mission and lead the organization towards its next stage of development. Chairperson of the HSFSA, Ms Nanette Crouse, says “We were fortunate to have a highly talented and experienced pool of candidates to choose from. We look forward to Prof Naidoo’s leadership.”

At the heart of the foundation

The Board of the HSFSA, staff, partners and stakeholders, wish to thank and commend Dr Vash Mungal-Singh for her sterling work done in the CEO role since 2010. Dr Mungal-Singh has been an asset in her abilities to efficiently manage the HSFSA to ensure its sustainability and continued foothold in the South African NGO sector. Under the firm hand of Mungal-Singh the HSFSA has grown its reach in awareness and programmes, raised its presence in advocacy, health communities and affiliations on global platforms, and contributed toward upholding the standard and ethics practiced in the public health space. We trust you will grow from strength to strength and continue to be a proud supporter of the HSFSA.

 

The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa announces a new CEO

h_and_s_4

The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA) is pleased to introduce Professor Pamela Naidoo, our newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from 01 September 2016.   Naidoo is a public health and behavioral medicine specialist with 28 years of experience in the health sector spanning both non-communicable and communicable diseases. Naidoo is the Research Director of the Psychosocial Well-Being and Behavioural Interventions programme at the SA Human Sciences Research Council and holds an Extraordinary Professorship in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at the University of the Western Cape. She has a Masters in Clinical Psychology from the University of Durban-Westville and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Cape Town, as well as a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Natal.

The Board of the HSFSA welcomes Prof Naidoo and is confident she will positively contribute to the foundation’s mission and lead the organization towards its next stage of development. Chairperson of the HSFSA, Ms Nanette Crouse, says “We were fortunate to have a highly talented and experienced pool of candidates to choose from. We look forward to Prof Naidoo’s leadership.”

At the heart of the foundation

The Board of the HSFSA, staff, partners and stakeholders, wish to thank and commend Dr Vash Mungal-Singh for her sterling work done in the CEO role since 2010. Dr Mungal-Singh has been an asset in her abilities to efficiently manage the HSFSA to ensure its sustainability and continued foothold in the South African NGO sector. Under the firm hand of Mungal-Singh the HSFSA has grown its reach in awareness and programmes, raised its presence in advocacy, health communities and affiliations on global platforms, and contributed toward upholding the standard and ethics practiced in the public health space. We trust you will grow from strength to strength and continue to be a proud supporter of the HSFSA.