The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for urgent action to address the rising prevalence of neurological conditions worldwide. A recent study published by The Lancet Neurology revealed that in 2021, over 3 billion individuals globally were living with a neurological condition. The WHO contributed to the analysis of the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study (GBD) 2021 data, which highlighted the alarming increase in disability, illness, and premature death caused by neurological conditions.
The study emphasized that neurological conditions have become the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide, with an 18% increase in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) since 1990. It was noted that over 80% of neurological deaths and health loss occur in low- and middle-income countries, where access to treatment is significantly limited compared to high-income countries.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stressed the urgent need to scale up targeted interventions to ensure that individuals living with neurological conditions can access quality care, treatment, and rehabilitation. He highlighted the importance of better understanding, valuing, and protecting brain health from early childhood to later life.
The study identified the top ten neurological conditions contributing to health loss in 2021, including stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, dementia, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications from preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancers. While neurological conditions generally cause more disability and health loss in men, certain conditions such as migraine and dementia disproportionately affect women.
Notably, the study revealed a significant increase in the absolute number of individuals living with or dying from neurological conditions since 1990, attributed mainly to demographic changes and increased life expectancy. Diabetic neuropathy emerged as the fastest-growing neurological condition, with the global number of cases more than tripling since 1990, reaching 206 million cases in 2021.
Furthermore, the study highlighted the emergence of new neurological conditions such as neurological complications from COVID-19, including cognitive impairment and Guillain-Barré syndrome, which previously did not exist and now account for over 23 million cases globally.
