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.

Comment on: WHO Zero Draft Framework for Meaningful Engagement people with NCDs & mental health

Comment on: WHO Zero Draft Framework for Meaningful Engagement people with NCDs & mental health

WHO has launched a web-based consultation on Zero Draft of the WHO Framework for Meaningful Engagement of People Living with Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health conditions (hereby ‘The Framework’). The web-based consultation is open until the 14th of November, 2022.

The Framework will support WHO and Members States in the meaningful engagement of individuals with lived experience to co-create and enhance related policies, programmes, and services. The framework has been co-created with individuals with lived experience, WHO, Member States and other relevant partners. WHO has proactively prioritized and included individuals with lived experience across a range of evidence-generating activities and processes, which has informed the Zero Draft of the Framework

Member States, UN organizations, non-State actors and individuals with lived experience are invited to submit their comments through e-mail to [email protected]The response can be given in any of the six official UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish. We kindly note that the deadline for comments is 14th November 2022.

To submit your comments or to ask any queries on the Framework or the web-based consultation, please contact:  Mr Jack Fisher, Technical Officer, Global Coordination Mechanism on NCDs, Global NCD Platform, [email protected]

Please share this URL and attached social media tile widely across your networks to ensure all key stakeholders have the opportunity to provide inputs and feedback into the Zero Draft. We deeply appreciate all your inputs and support to date and look forward to hearing the response of the wider community.

WHO NDoH Technical launch to the provinces of the 3rd NCDs NSP

WHO NDoH Technical launch to the provinces of the 3rd NCDs NSP

The SANCDA+ invites you to participate virtually in the NDoH and WHO Technical meeting for the NCDs+ NSP provincial rollout. June 30 all day and July 1 till lunchtime
Register for both days via Zoom Link number of participants limited to 300
Livestreaming on another platform is also to be arranged
When: Jun 30, 2022 08:00 Johannesburg
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckdu6prTwtHtCESam-n2gs0fay2U6ZsR6s

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The message may note it is a meeting with the Presidency but it is an error we cant correct. It is for the NDOH meeting.

Link to the NDoH invitation here
Link to the draft programme here 
Link to the latest corrected 3rd NCDs+ NSP here

WHO mental health report launch -Transforming mental health for all.

Mental health is critically important to everyone, everywhere. All over the world, mental health needs are high but responses are insufficient and inadequate.  This comprehensive report draws on the latest evidence available, showcasing examples of good practice from around the world, and voicing people’s lived experience of mental health conditions. It highlights why and where change is most needed and how it can best be achieved.

It calls on all stakeholders to work together to deepen the value and commitment given to mental health, reshape the environments that influence mental health and strengthen the systems that care for people’s mental health.

Register information coming soon here. hh WorldMentalHealthReport

WHO Global Diabetes Compact Forum

 The next dates of the WHO Global Diabetes Compact Forum have been set for May 10 and 11, from 11:00 to 14:00 Geneva Time on both days. All previous members are welcomed to attend and do not need to re-register.
Organizations who are interested in taking part in the Forum but have not applied are still invited to
complete an application. Please note all applications received must go through a due diligence process which can take some time.
Application for Global Diabetes Compact Forum Membership:
https://extranet.who.int/dataformv3/index.php/43153