{"id":459,"date":"2025-10-14T18:36:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T18:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/?p=459"},"modified":"2025-10-14T19:11:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T19:11:44","slug":"%f0%9f%a7%a0-11-million-lives-lost-each-year-the-urgent-need-for-better-neurological-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/?p=459","title":{"rendered":"\ud83e\udde0 11 Million Lives Lost Each Year: The Urgent Need for Better Neurological Care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published:<\/strong> October 14, 2025
Category:<\/strong> Global Health News
By:<\/strong> Yarima.org Health Editorial Team
Source:<\/strong> Adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf0d A Global Health Wake-Up Call<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The World Health Organization (WHO)<\/strong> has issued a major warning: neurological disorders now cause more than 11 million deaths every year<\/strong>, yet fewer than one-third of countries have a national plan to address them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to WHO\u2019s new Global Status Report on Neurology<\/em>, over 3 billion people \u2014 more than 40% of the global population \u2014<\/strong> are living with neurological conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These conditions include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Stroke<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Neonatal encephalopathy<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Migraine<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Alzheimer\u2019s disease and other dementias<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Diabetic neuropathy<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Meningitis<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Epilepsy<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Neurological complications from preterm birth<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Autism spectrum disorders<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Cancers of the nervous system<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udea8 Gaps in Global Neurological Care<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The report highlights a sharp imbalance between high- and low-income countries. In poorer nations, there are over 80 times fewer neurologists<\/strong> than in wealthy countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Only 1 in 3 countries (32%)<\/strong> has a national policy for neurological care, and just 18%<\/strong> have dedicated funding to address these conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Essential services like stroke units, pediatric neurology, rehabilitation, and palliative care<\/strong> are often unavailable \u2014 especially in rural areas. This leaves millions of people without access to timely or effective treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udc69\u200d\u2695\ufe0f \u201cWe Must Act Now\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    \u201cWith 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,\u201d
    said Dr. Jeremy Farrar<\/strong>, WHO Assistant Director-General.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    He emphasized that while many neurological conditions can be prevented or treated, care remains out of reach for most \u2014 especially those facing stigma, poverty, or living in remote regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udca1 The Human Impact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The report also shines light on caregivers<\/strong>, many of whom are women providing unpaid, informal care.
    Only 46 countries<\/strong> offer carer services, and just 44<\/strong> have legal protections in place \u2014 leaving millions of families unsupported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Weak health information systems and limited funding for research in low- and middle-income countries also make it difficult to create effective policies or measure progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    \ud83e\udded The Way Forward: WHO\u2019s Global Action Plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In 2022, WHO launched the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders<\/strong>, giving countries a roadmap to strengthen brain health and reduce inequalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The plan encourages governments to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Prioritize neurological care<\/strong> with clear policies and sustainable funding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Expand access<\/strong> to essential neurological services under universal health coverage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Promote brain health<\/strong> throughout life by addressing risk factors like poor nutrition, infections, and head injuries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Strengthen data systems<\/strong> for smarter, evidence-based decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n

      \ud83e\udde9 Why This Matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Without immediate action, the burden of neurological conditions \u2014 from stroke to dementia \u2014 will continue to grow, deepening health and social inequalities around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Every person, regardless of where they live, deserves access to brain health care and early diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      Source:<\/strong>
      World Health Organization (WHO). Global Status Report on Neurology<\/em>, released October 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Published: October 14, 2025Category: Global Health NewsBy: Yarima.org Health Editorial TeamSource: Adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO) \ud83c\udf0d A Global Health Wake-Up Call The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a major warning: neurological disorders now cause more than 11 million deaths every year, yet fewer than one-third of countries have a national plan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-medical-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=459"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":460,"href":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459\/revisions\/460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yarima.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}